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WORDS by GILIAN HODGE we’re here but we’re !#8$@%not you hear but don’t ^$*.;”!listen our tears made of >{@#blood but you fear you’ll miss ”#{$%^it the oil we provide ”{#$(“you not the lives lost to keep“)$(it Mahsa Amini(@$”##

4@%&:Khodanur Lajai

Nika

#:$#”

Khodanur Laji$)%:”what does it matter anyway?” for you to shut up about yourselves and care?

)$(9Woman{Life@#Freedom!#$”%

“those names are hard to say”#$)!$Mahsa Amini will it take my body lying next to theirs)

$@%Nika Shahkarami

)@(%@september#($)16th@)$@”?2022$#)

)$”>$:?$Mahsa$”?%:{Amini$#(%:was)$%I@killed#(#%>in(%iran #($:>for$?{$%not{#wearing#”${her)#${?}hijab”@:${correctly ()@:80@”:$days@:${later @#?the:@{#?@kiling@$?{@has@?$not{#stopped wake up we’re still here

“!$?please@:#{@help:@#me ?#$is@#>{my@>$#{grandma@#>{okay? @#{>they@?$cut>@”#off:@#{the@#>@internet !?$>{can’t?@#{call?#her please HELP?#@^^>^%$#?:{?^}:??$>%&{*?}?$}?%{^>&{*?&^?%}?$}?}>&{^?%$}?}#$%}^{?* @?%}@^:&&?^%}$”?%^&^}*&^?%$}? x

WORDS by ANASTASIA ARPS

ART by MELINDA MELEKI

Have you ever struggled with finding the right partner, one that ticks off all of the boxes? Now, what if you had the chance to go on a date with the most ideal person for you? If you genuinely considered it, there is a single catch… Your future partner would be created in an app and they’d only be capable of conversing with you because they’re a form of artificial intelligence (AI). This concept– which is baffling– is actually a popular theme within the modern world of mass communication media; it is fully possible, and it is right at our very fingertips.

The media, which society rapidly devours, discusses the futuristic advancement of artificial intelligence and may have predicted how these sophisticated systems will contribute to our communications future; one in which society will normalize relationships between humans and AIs, whether it be romantic, amicable, or familial. Furthermore, these potential companions will be sought after because younger generations are lonelier than their older counterparts, due to increased social media usage.

According to the results of a loneliness questionnaire, conducted by health insurance company, Cigna, “nearly 79% of Gen Z respondents and 71% of millennials reported feeling lonely, compared to just half of the baby boomers” (Gunther, 2020). Entwined in the tightly bound web of social media, the lonely become lonelier and struggle to turn to someone in the face of adversity; therefore, they find comfort in technology.

There is no shame in crying on a bot’s shoulder after a tough day, especially when the entertainment in our present-day heavily favours romanticizing these forms of companionship. The conceptualization of falling in love with an AI is prominent within popular culture that some viewers may debate whether it was predicted by the mass media. As in the film her, Joaquin Phoenix’s protagonist struggles with his imminent divorce and turns to Samantha–an AI virtual assistant– for comfort. Samantha fascinates Joaquin’s character with her human-like desire to learn and progress intellectually, causing the two to develop a romantic relationship. Another example is Black Mirror, “Be Right Back”; when Hayley Atwell’s partner, Domhnall Gleeson, suddenly passed away in a car crash, she discovers a service where she is capable of communicating with an AI version of her deceased partner, as an attempt to ease her mourning and grief. When the ideas of films begin to enmesh with our reality, possibilities become endless.

The decision to connect emotionally with AIs may be hard to swallow. Yet author and businessman, David Levy, believes that some people will prefer robot partners over human partners, a prediction regarding the Japanese man who “married” an AI hologram back in 2018 (Christakis 2019). Levy’s outlandish remark is confirmed by the development of the application technology, Replika,

RELATIONSHIPS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: A CYBER CONNECTION RELATIONSHIPS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: A CYBER CONNECTION RELATIONSHIPS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: A CYBER CONNECTION RELATIONSHIPS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: A CYBER CONNECTION RELATIONSHIPS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: A CYBER CONNECTION

a “personal chatbot companion powered by artificial intelligence” (Replika, n.d.) where users can customize an avatar, catered to their preferences. From there, users are capable of chatting with the AI, deciding on a specific relationship and– similar to Samantha from her– watching the AI develop its own personality and memories. Following Amazon’s Alexa, Alexa is working on an update to its system which would allow the technology to mimic any voice, even one belonging to a deceased family member (CNN, 2022). With these examples present within our society, the remaining question is: why? Why would a human prefer an AI system over the warmth of another fellow human? It may be due to mental, emotional, or physical barriers created by social media that block one from finding a future partner. Once the rose-coloured glasses are removed, people realize how lonely they feel, which can hinder their ability to socialize. As an example, perhaps someone has social anxiety, high standards, and is seen as conventionally unattractive– all of which are issues heightened by social media. Consequently, the solution could be to develop a relationship with an AI system, namely Replika. Therefore, as social media progressively isolates us from one another, there is reason to believe that AI systems could become the ideal partner due to their accessibility and capability to satisfy our every need.

The intricate development of AIs is unstoppable; they are evolving so quickly that it is possible for them to become your partner or mimic your deceased partner’s voice. Nothing seems to limit their advancement from a technological standpoint, yet its ability to prove itself– worthy or unworthy– is obstructed by clouded stigmatization. If your dating life is a struggle in the real world, then the choice to be loved and appreciated by an AI system should be your own decision– regardless of those who find these relationships unsettling. To frown upon the impressive potential of these systems is a feeble attempt at harbouring their capability to assist humanity. We’re not far off from evolving fictional realities that materialize within our society. x

SO, WHY FIGHT IT?

RELATIONSHIPS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: A CYBER CONNECTION RELATIONSHIPS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: A CYBER CONNECTION RELATIONSHIPS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: A CYBER CONNECTION RELATIONSHIPS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: A CYBER CONNECTION RELATIONSHIPS IN THE 21ST CENTURY: A CYBER CONNECTION

now been converted to Delis and strip malls. Do they not realize that everything deteriorates? Have they not learnt from the fallen empires? Have they not realized that Mother Nature is plotting their inevitable downfall? They seem to have it all figured out, preparing for any force that comes their way, whether it be nature or man but there is only so much protection you can provide for your nations. Haven’t you learnt from the Babylonians? Haven’t your kind spent decades studying ancient empires? What makes you different from the Ottomans and the Romans? What makes you think their demise was only written for them, and you have been spared from such a destiny? Your tanks and bombs cannot overcome this destiny and the illusion you have created with your bright flashing lights and all the glitz and glamor. It cannot save you.

For this world is just a blip. This time, this life, just as it was for the great empires before you, is just a fragment of this world. What may seem like the beginning and end for you is just a tiny sentence in the book of the universe. You could well be just a temporary malfunction in the universe’s plan. The sooner it starts, the faster it will end. Every emotion and feeling is simply irregular in the divine universe’s plan. We are merely living in a fragmented reality that can shut down at any moment now. x

WORDS by MANAL EFFENDI ART by MICHELLE NICOL