A.I. Is About to Solve Loneliness. That's a Problem

A.I. Is About to Solve Loneliness. That’s a Problem | The New Yorker

The discomfort of loneliness shapes us in ways we don’t recognize—and we may not like what we become without it.

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A.I. chatbots like ChatGPT are poised to offer hugs, witty banter, and a 3 a.m. ear, but before we all cozy up to our new digital besties, Paul Bloom reminds us that loneliness is more than a bland ache—it’s a “toothache of the soul” and a vital nudge toward real human bonds. After co-authoring “In Praise of Empathic A.I.,” he faced pushback from academics who see artificial empathy as soulless, yet the loneliness epidemic (backed by Surgeon General reports and UK/Japan loneliness ministers) has real health consequences—worse than obesity, on par with heavy smoking.

Swapping loneliness for a perfectly tailored AI pal might numb the signal that drives us to connect, empathize, and show up for each other. Sure, digital confidants can fill gaps when friends are scarce or you outlive everyone you love, but Bloom worries what we lose when we outsource discomfort and the hard, messy work of living together to souped-up code.