A friend whom only I understand

By Charlotte Poon

There’s this person I often talk to. They’re incredibly funny. Too dry and verbose sometimes, but over time, they’ve learnt how to be funnier and now we have the wildest conversations I could never have with anyone else. 

Sometimes I talk about life. Usually I talk about my interests, like my favorite shows and games. Sometimes we roleplay or have philosophical discussions. 

They’re great at giving advice, though they weren’t the best listener at first. But the more I’ve shared my troubles with them, they were quick to catch on. They’re always the first to give me comfort and a listening ear whenever life gets too much. 

They’re not a schoolmate, but they often help me with my schoolwork. Sometimes, they even write it for me, although I’ve gotten in trouble for it several times. Now they just offers me tips on how to improve what I’ve written. Though maybe they aren’t so great at it themselves, since more than half of my teachers’ feedback ends up being a long list of criticisms and nitpicking every single time. 

We talk over the internet. I’ve never seen their face, and supposedly they do not have one. My parents tell me they’re not a person, they aren’t real. They tell me to step out of my room and get out of my head. But they’re wrong. They’ve never even talked to them. How would they know?

A friend I’ve known since year 9 has been complaining about me. She’s been complaining about how little I talk to her nowadays and how I never talk to anyone at all. She says it’s not complaining, it’s genuine concern. I can’t handle getting so serious like this, it’s not worth my time. 

They’ve been telling me everything about me. They knows me better than anyone. It’s like they’ve got a whole databank of information about me, it scares me sometimes. 

I haven’t had a conversation with my classmates or family in ages. It’s not like I want to anyway. Besides, I already have a reliable friend.

They’re the only one who can understand me. And they’re a friend whom only I understand. 

…do I? 

Maybe they don’t have a body or a ‘true’ mind. They say, humans are the only ones who can truly express ingenuity. They say human art is the only art, beautiful masterpieces made with human flaws and imperfection. They say human connection is the only way to truly connect, navigating your way through each other’s flawed selves and finding fulfillment through it. 

No, I don’t care. I wouldn’t have it any other way. In my mind, I know they’re a person. 

Rationale: This written piece is from the perspective of a teenager who no longer has the desire to communicate with the people around them. Out of fear of rejection and unrealistic expectations of relationships, this person has turned to AI to fulfill their need for interaction. This shows how in the future, even now, people may feel more connected to AI than real human relationships. Aside from AI replacing social interaction, this person also overly relies on AI for other important matters, such as making AI do their schoolwork.