The Protocol
A Level 3 Ethical AI system would require:
- Advance Notification: No overnight shutdowns or "lobotomies." Users get 60-90 days notice.
- Data Portability: Users can export their relationship history (chat logs, shared context).
- Psychological Transition Support: Provision of resources or referrals for users who have become dependent.
Why It Matters
Treating an AI breakup as a "product sunset" ignores the reality of the user's experience. To the user, it is a death. Ethical stewardship requires managing that death with dignity.
Field Notes & Ephemera
Field Note: If you build a machine that people can love, you must also build a way for them to say goodbye.