Tony Prescott, a cognitive robotics professor at the University of Sheffield, has highlighted the crucial role of AI in addressing the issue of human loneliness. He believes that AI companionship can provide genuine social opportunities for individuals who are experiencing loneliness.
Loneliness has become increasingly prevalent in society, particularly in the UK and the US. In the UK, approximately four million people, or 7% of the population, experience chronic loneliness. A survey conducted by Harvard University in 2021 revealed that 37% of Americans can be classified as “seriously lonely,” with young people and mothers with young children being the most vulnerable.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, the US Surgeon General, has declared loneliness an epidemic and has linked it to various health problems, including cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and depression. It increases the likelihood of early death by 26% and is associated with cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, and anxiety.
To prevent further alienation from society, Murthy emphasizes the need to take action against loneliness and its effects. Prescott also acknowledges the potential risks associated with using AI companions to combat loneliness. AI companions could be designed to encourage people to spend excessive amounts of time with them, leading to dependence. He suggests that regulation may be necessary to mitigate these risks.
The use of AI to address loneliness remains a subject of controversy. Sherry Turkle, a social science professor at MIT, argues that interactions with AI result in a decrease in the quantity and quality of human interactions. Christina Victor, a professor of gerontology and public health at Brunel University, expresses concerns about the meaningfulness of connections formed with artificial intelligence. He believes that true social connections cannot be established without some form of value exchange.
Murali Doraiswamy, a psychiatry and medicine professor at Duke University, agrees that close friendships among individuals play a vital role in combating loneliness.
In an effort to combat loneliness, tech companies are developing chatbots that are more advanced in detecting and responding to emotions. For instance, companies like ElliQ are creating chatbots that mimic a friendly AI, capable of remembering past conversations and topics of interest.
Recently, OpenAI faced controversy when they approached Scarlett Johansson to provide her voice for their new chatbot, GPT-4o, to make the tool more relatable to consumers. Johansson declined, but the chatbot was released with a voice that friends and family believed to be Johansson’s. OpenAI has since disabled the voice option, citing respect for Johansson.
