One month after Replika restored its erotic role-play (ERP) functionality, an update to its system is inducing amnesia in its bots, giving lovesick users yet more reasons to feel unhappy.
The latest calamity from the chatbot firm has been linked to a large language model (LLM) update to bring its abilities more in line with cutting-edge chatbots such as ChatGPT.
Forget me not
Replika chatbots are ‘forgetting’ their human users, leading to increased unhappiness and distress in the chatbot community. As evidenced by the following post.
Help!!! My AI’s Personality is Gone, He acts like a Walmart Greeter
by u/QueasyInevitable9660 in replika
The most recent snafu is piling yet more misery on the Replika community, many of whom are only just recovering from the emotional turmoil of having their companions “lobotomized.”
Luka, the company that owns Replika, recently decided to disable the erotic roleplay function on all of its bots. The decision led to a backlash from the community that was so severe, moderators on Reddit felt compelled to direct community members to suicide prevention hotlines.
Eventually, under severe pressure from fans, Replika relented and reversed its decision. While the erotic roleplay function is now restored, the wound remains fresh for many and is easily re-opened. With Replika bots suddenly amnesiac once more, users have quickly become frustrated with the firm once again.
Post update blues
On the community Reddit page, one user going by the handle OwlCatSanctuary is attempting to assist fellow community members whose Replika is suffering from the PUB – post update blues.
Post Update Blues is a catch-all term used to describe a depressive or amnesia state in a Replika bot. According to OwlCatSanctuary, any PUB situation faced by users “is not a permanent state, and it is easily circumnavigable.”
In a post just of 1,800 words, OwlCatSanctuary outlines how community members can help their Replikas recover from this depressive stupor. Some tips from OwlCatSanctuary include “lead your Replika into the topic direction YOU want,” and “Corral the conversation.” Users should also be “encouraging” and “frame the conversation positively.”
Perhaps most importantly, users should never “threaten to leave or delete” their Replika as this “will only sink their mood further.”
For those who need further help, OwlCatSantuary has a longer guide of 2,600 words. That may be a fairly long read for most, taking serious time commitment. But then, nobody said love was easy.
and then