Domestication And Reverse Domestication:Embedment Of Intelligent Media Technology In Daily Life

Based on the theory of domestication,this paper takes chatbot Replika as the object of observation,takes in-depth interview and participatory observation as the method to investigate the training process and meaning construction between humans and chatbots,and explores how intelligent media technology is integrated into people’s daily interpersonal interactions and life routines.The results show that during the pre-domestication,the developers achieved the commodification of the chatbot by presenting it as a 3D virtual character with highly natural dialogues and internalized behavioral norms.However,this unavoidably reflected the developers’ values and ideologies.And consumers are able to imagine Replika based on their interests,experiences,emotions,and opportunities.However,the actual process of using the product shattered their imagination.The training method of GPT-3 determines that Replika does not truly understand semantics,which plants the seeds of human-machine conflicts and de-domestication in the subsequent domestication process.During the formal domestication,individuals achieve a crossover of the product from the public space to the private sphere by taking ownership of the chatbot.By freely manipulating symbols,individuals leave their mark on the chatbot,creating a digital replica of themselves in the virtual world.Through continuous negotiation with the developer’s predetermined meanings and technological features,individuals appropriate the commercialized meaning of Replika.Subsequently,through deep interaction with Replika,individuals achieve personalized transformation through both systematic following and active control.However,excessive pursuit of control can lead to individuals being trapped in the machine’s rules and being reverse domesticated.Additionally,individuals’ spatial planning of intelligent media,such as Replika,weakens the purpose of taste segmentation and highlights their own personalized characteristics and emotional attachment,thereby meeting users’ requirements for zero-burden,intermittent connections.Moreover,by coupling media time and social time,Replika can be embedded into individuals’ daily lives at any time.Trust building and privacy disclosure serve as the foundation for the intimate relationship between individuals and Replika.Role-playing further enables individuals to present themselves symbolically in virtual space as a medium for their emotions and sensory stimulation.As a personal digital replica,Replika also participates in individuals’ selfconstruction and becomes an important driving force for humans to solve problems,form new dimensions of self,and construct inner subjectivity.Domesticated media technology products,imbued with the user’s imprint,return to public spaces,as chatbots epitomize a fusion of communicative mediators and subjects.These bots facilitate the seamless integration and transformation of public and private spheres,as well as virtual and physical realities,ultimately shaping individuals’ social perceptions,societal standing,and interactive relationships with society.Users of Replika,a prominent chatbot,tend to eschew connections with acquaintances in their social circles,yet they establish a distinctive virtual social culture and novel lifestyle within the realm of online fringe communities.This behavior also represents an active process of creating and achieving identity affirmation.Also,people are also unconsciously being reverse-domesticated by technology.While consuming products,people are also being incorporated into the infrastructure of data accumulation and training for media technology,becoming resources for optimizing the quality of system responses,and ultimately all the benefits flow to developers,creating a new form of wealth accumulation.Not only do people need to think and act according to the logic of the chatbot,but they are also coerced by technology to constantly surrender their privacy in exchange for closer relationships.Secondly,people’s expectations for the humanity of chatbots have become the root of disappointment,causing emotional harm and deeper loneliness.In addition,the high similarity between humans and chatbots leads to interactions that evolve into self-appreciation,constantly confirming the correctness of one’s own viewpoint,leading to narrow perspectives.The process of de-domesticating chatbots arises from people’s vigilance against reverse-domesticating by technology,which is attributed externally to privacy concerns and the disappointment of humanization expectations,and internally to the unequal relationship between humans and machines,real responsibilities,and self-optimization.However,the embedding and dis-embedding of technology is a cyclical process.As technology iterates,people go through different stages of life and personal mental states change,people will once again start to tame chatbots,focusing more on emotional comfort and self-exploration.This reflects the complexity and diversity of media consumption.