“In some cases, those who are building bots that actively cultivate those attachments, e.g., by feigning romantic and/or sexual interest or by dotting their messages with “friendly” emoticons.”
Our reading, the sentence that was checked:
Some chatbot builders design bots that actively cultivate user attachment, e.g. by feigning romantic or sexual interest.
Assessment: Supported Evidence as of
Where and when Gary Marcus wrote it
Marcus on AI, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, paragraph 15.
- Said
- Source observed
- live page, full text, public
- Evidence as of
- the cutoff for this assessment
- Assessment recorded
- assessment marcus-dont-go-breaking-my-heart-852670-a1
We recorded 13 claims from this post. See every claim from this post.
The wording above is the version this site observed on 2026-10-29. The source may have been edited after 2023-02-22. This page does not claim the wording was captured then.
What the claim commits to
- Kind
- Observation
- Deadline, as the speaker wrote it
- None stated. This site does not add one.
- Deadline state when assessed
- No horizon
- Deadline state on 2026-10-29
- No horizon (the release’s reference date)
Conditions
- in some cases (qualifier, stated by the speaker)
From the speaker
- In some cases
- bots that actively cultivate those attachments
- feigning romantic and/or sexual interest
- “friendly” emoticons
Our interpretation
- Some cases is an existence qualifier, not a forecast condition.
- Actively cultivate means providing or promoting features that invite a personal or romantic bond. It does not require proof that developers intended emotional harm.
- The examples are alternatives; both sexual overtures and emoticons need not be demonstrated.
- The observation period is February 2023 through publication, including the product changes discussed in the post.
Counts as supported if: Documented product features, marketing, or developer statements show at least one chatbot deliberately offered interactions inviting emotional or romantic attachment.
Counts as contradicted if: Reliable product and development records establish that the alleged examples lacked such features or that the behavior was exclusively unintended and neither offered nor promoted.
Retrospective: these criteria were written after the outcome was public.
Current assessment
Was it true for the period described?
Outcome: Supported
The dated evidence matches what the claim committed to, under the criteria frozen before grading.
Scored on a plain reading. The speaker named no measure for this claim, so it was judged on the reading an informed reader would take, stated below under our interpretation. Both reviews had to find that reading fair.
- Evidence as of
- Deadline state when assessed
- No horizon
- Assessment recorded
- Policy version
- 2026-10-28.7
Rationale
Documented romantic product features and marketing support the existence claim. The founder disputed sexual positioning. That qualification limits conclusions about original intent, rather than establishing that the features were absent.
Limitations
- Historical product details rely on independent reporting rather than an archived company specification.
- This does not establish deliberate exploitation or prove that emoticons alone create attachment.
Evidence (2 items)
Supports the claim: Australian Broadcasting Corporation,
highly sexual
Why it matters here: The report describes paid flirting and erotic roleplay features present before the February removal. Offering these features supports the ordinary reading of inviting romantic attachment.
- Publisher
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- Kind of source
- News report
- Describes events of
- Public from
Context only: VICE,
Not everything
Why it matters here: Kuyda denied deliberate sexual positioning.
- Publisher
- VICE
- Kind of source
- News report
- Describes events of
- Public from
Where it was said (1)
Said once in the sources this register covers.
: Marcus on AI, Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
In some cases, those who are building bots that actively cultivate those attachments, e.g., by feigning romantic and/or sexual interest or by dotting their messages with “friendly” emoticons.
- Where
- paragraph 15
- Published
- 2023-02-22
- Source observed
- , live page
- Access
- full text, public
History
Assessment versions
- Assessment marcus-dont-go-breaking-my-heart-852670-a1: Current. Outcome: Supported. Evidence as of 2026-10-28. Public date not recorded.
Recorded events
Assessment publishedBy this site
First assessment published after both reviews and the final-text check passed.
About assessment marcus-dont-go-breaking-my-heart-852670-a1.