Can AI combat loneliness?
They're always available for a chat, they're empathetic and they don't talk back: for some people AI chatbots are more than just machines. According to a new survey 370,000 people in Ireland have pursued a romantic relationship with an AI. Commentators discuss the consequences, especially for lonely people.
Gen Z falling victim to big tech
Using AI to combat loneliness is dangerous, says The Irish Times:
“Vulnerable people are more likely to substitute the seemingly uncomplicated, unconditional esteem provided by AI constructs for human relationships. ... Gen Z, the first generation to grow up with the internet, seems lonely to an unprecedented degree. Now, the same online forces that nudged Gen Z into a pit of loneliness using algorithms are selling AI companionship to them. ... There is something sociopathic about encouraging the vulnerable to trust what is essentially a giant con. The alleged cure instead progresses the disease.”
At least someone to talk to
The Irish Independent can understand why some people feel drawn to AI:
“Ireland has the highest rate of loneliness in Europe - with one-in-five of us feeling lonely most or all of the time, compared to roughly one-in-eight in the rest of the EU. ... One-in-10 people say they have no friends at all. ... AI may not hug you, go on dates with you or even let you bring it for a walk like a labrador, but it might perhaps give you something to talk to, listen to you and make you feel like there is someone who wants to engage with you, who cares about you - that you matter too.”