As technology continues to interface with our personal lives, one woman has sparked a viral conversation about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in analyzing human relationships.
Aubrie Sellers, a musician based in Nashville, Tennessee, took to TikTok on July 27 to demonstrate how she uses ChatGPT, an advanced AI-powered tool, to dissect her text message exchanges and assess the attachment styles of both herself and her romantic conquests. Her revelation, viewed more than 2 million times, posed an intriguing question, can ChatGPT effectively analyze the complex dynamics of personal relationships?
“I was shocked with how insightful the results were and picked up my camera to record how impressed I was,” Sellers, who goes by @aubriesellers on the platform, told Newsweek.
She had briefly walked her followers through how she had used OpenAI‘s bot to psychoanalyze herself and a romantic partner.
“You guys can screenshot your text messages and put them into ChatGPT,” she told audiences. “And have ChatGPT analyze your conversations for you.
“It literally said he’s avoidant and I’m mature.”
From left: Aubrie Sellers walks viewers online through how she uses ChatGPT; and poses for a selfie in her car. The musician says that she has found the AI-powered tool’s psychological and relationship insights useful.
@aubriesellers
This simple yet poignant experiment resonated with many viewers, prompting discussion about the efficacy and ethics of using AI for such intimate purposes.
“I am naturally interested in psychology, relationships, and self-growth and I had been using ChatGPT to do things like create journal prompts and affirmations,” Sellers, who has performed on the Late Show With Stephen Colbert, said. “I would even experiment with its value as a therapist, and then I had the idea to upload screenshots of texts and see if it could analyze them from an attachment theory and relationship therapist perspective.”
To explore this burgeoning trend, Newsweek sought the professional insight of Dr. Debra Castaldo, a couples and family therapist based in New Jersey. Castaldo weighed in on the implications of using AI in relationship assessments.
“Although these new technologies of AI and ChatGPT are all the rage, I am not in favor of real human relationships being assessed using these modalities,” Castaldo told Newsweek.
She says that the intrinsic complexities of attachments and relationships are factors that AI-powered tools might overlook.
“Attachments and relationships are so complex and defined by many observable factors in real-time,” she added.
Reflecting on her virtual therapy sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic, Castaldo underscored the subtleties that make human interactions unique—subtleties that she argues cannot be fully captured or interpreted by AI.
“It is very different seeing someone online as opposed to the ‘real feel’ of being in person,” she said. “Then, the observable nuances surface: eye contact, voice tone, breathing, physical touch.
“These are the human qualities that we know create a secure bond.”
Sellers’ TikTok video taps into a broader trend of individuals seeking innovative tools to gain insights into their lives. For many, AI offers a tantalizing promise of objective analysis that can seem more immediate and accessible than traditional methods like reaching out to a costly therapist or sharing a post on social platforms like Reddit.
The previous year’s average cost for a therapy session in the U.S. ranged from around $100 to $200, making it unaffordable for many, especially young adults and teenagers. AI-powered tools, on the other hand, are often free or low-cost and available 24/7.
Despite its appeal, Castaldo is concerned that ruling out “irreplaceable” human connection could pave the way for potential pitfalls from an over-reliance on technology in deeply personal matters.
While the therapist expresses caution, Sellers’ video which prompts viewers to consider whether AI can untangle the psychological threads that weave through relationships, has continued to gain traction online.
“I noticed immediately that the video seemed to be resonating,” the musician, who is working on her third solo album and a relationships-focused podcast, said. “Getting around 200,000 views within a couple of days was way more than I had ever gotten on any video, and then it continued on to more than 2.2 million views.
“It has brought me so much joy to see all of the people who found it helpful or funny, and the comment section has been so positive.”
Sellers believes that this application of ChatGPT can provide a novel way to approach self-awareness and communication in relationships. Castaldo begs to differ. The relationship expert knows that while AI-powered tools can offer possibilities for augmenting personal insights, the core of human relationships lies in the nuanced experiences that technology cannot yet replicate.
“Let’s leave AI and ChatGPT for crafting more factual information,” the therapist said.
She added: “Let’s keep the human in human, loving relationships.”
