Gen Z's newest crush? ChatGPT

Yesterday OpenAI announced that it is possible to talk to ChatGPT on Whatsapp using the tool-free number 1-800-CHATGPT (+1 1-800-242-8478). The functionality of the Whatsapp version is limited compared to that of the official version, but with this new step ChatGPT has officially become available to everyone. The new generation's love for the search engine based on artificial intelligence has been blossoming for some time now: in the last few days, several videos have been circulating on TikTok about the relationship between people and ChatGPT. These videos follow a specific structure and are adapted to different scenarios depending on the message they aim to convey. Typically, they feature captions like “Me and ChatGPT after I graduate from University” or “Me and ChatGPT after finishing the project,” while showing someone dancing with a Transformer-style robot representing the chatbot. Another meme depicts a girl happily running through a field, exchanging flowers and affection with a blurred image of a partner. Here too, the caption reads “Me and ChatGPT”, set to the background of N.1 Party Anthem by Arctic Monkeys, suggesting a beautiful love story. One such video has garnered 12.4 million views and over 2 million likes. Comments include phrases like “My therapist ❤️,” “He explains maths better than my teacher,” or even emotional remarks like “He always says the right things.” The message is clear: life with ChatGPT is good, perhaps even better.

Since OpenAI's free chatbot launched in November 2022, its monthly usage figures have made it the world's most widely used platform, accumulating a million users within the first five days alone. Two years later, in 2024, ChatGPT is not only more powerful but increasingly embedded in everyday life. According to OpenAI, more than 200 million users use it weekly, not just for work. Many users have started leveraging artificial intelligence as a life coach, for recreational and artistic purposes, or even as an alternative to therapy. A recent article in the Guardian highlighted how some couples use OpenAI's language model to address their relationship issues: «[ChatGPT] is used to write affectionate messages to send [to a partner], to calm down after an argument, and even to interpret difficult conversations by asking it to replace oneself or the [partner] to better respond in the moment». ChatGPT's role has quickly shifted from being a mere pastime to becoming a vital tool in personal and professional lives.

A study by Indiana University revealed that in the workplace, people are increasingly turning to ChatGPT rather than colleagues or managers. This trend is redefining professional dynamics, reducing opportunities for direct collaboration and personal growth, and fostering a climate of distrust where supervisors suspect the use of ChatGPT even for simple tasks like writing an email. Beyond the practical and work-related aspects, anthropomorphizing the machine could also pose significant emotional challenges. With the introduction of voice functionality, launched last May and updated in October, ChatGPT can respond to a question in approximately 232 milliseconds—similar to human reaction time—offering nine different vocal tones, enabling realistic conversations. OpenAI itself highlighted the risk of relational implications between humans and machines in a report, emphasizing the «need to continue investigating how these effects may manifest over longer periods». The document also warns that voice functionality could reduce the need for human interaction, providing a benefit for those suffering from loneliness while potentially negatively affecting healthy relationships.

Although most users seem to use advanced voice mode as a form of entertainment, social media increasingly features people using the digital assistant for everyday tasks. According to the U.S. federal agency Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, in 2023, about 6.2 million people in the U.S. with mental health conditions desired treatment but did not receive it. This gap is expected to widen in 2024-2025 due to worsening economic conditions: «It may sound strange, but if you can’t afford [therapy] and just need a listening ear, talking to this thing can feel like talking to a person», said Celia Quillian, an artificial intelligence expert, with comments from the “Me and ChatGPT” trend reinforcing this perspective.

«In ChatGPT we trust», reads a comment under one of the many videos in this format, indicating that users’ trust in AI is so significant that it replaces the U.S. national motto, despite its many problematic implications. From an environmental standpoint, estimates suggest that every 100 words sent to ChatGPT consume about 1.5 liters of water for server cooling. Moreover, according to the New York Times, by 2027, AI could consume 0.5% of global electricity, equivalent to Argentina’s annual energy use. However, the greatest concern may lie in users’ blind trust in AI within the professional realm. Even Noam Chomsky, one of the leading academics in media theory, commented last March that «Their deepest flaw is the absence of the most critical capacity of any intelligence: not only to state what is the case, what has been the case, and what will be—that is description and prediction—but also what is not the case and what could or could not be. [...] Given the amorality, pseudo-science, and linguistic incompetence of these systems, we can only laugh or cry at their popularity».