When AI Became the Third Wheel in My Friendship

I used to help her pick lipsticks. She used to help me grieve. Things changed when my best friend found a new digital bestie.

- J Shruti

My friend Vandana* has a tartmouthed cousin.

They are often at - loggerheads about their values, though the reason for the mutual hate was something wobbly: They didn't like each other's vibe. Which is okay. I am a big advocate of hating someone for no reason. Like how I have disliked British actor Lily James for years, unable to place why I feel such immediate disdain when I look at her. These conversations about her cousin slipped into petty relish.

Yet, it was obvious to us that she was blameless.

That was until Vandana became an early adopter of ChatGPT. I noticed the same conversations that were infected with irony and fun had flipped to become self-serious and reflective. Long, detailed paragraphs were written by her to AI about the exchange she and this cousin had, and an even longer response was provided by it (it also offered to hold her hand). This was almost three years ago. AI had already skittered up to become big in cultural discourse.

But, one could have at least imagined the service would try to replace writers. Or artists.

AND THEN IT HAPPENED...