7 ms·

AI Companions Reduce Loneliness

51 points by Dowwie 2y ago

unnamed76ri 2y ago
I want friends too but man, resorting to a chatbot sounds so depressing. Get some hobbies, find activities on Meetup, join a church. So many healthier alternatives. Just requires you to actually do something real.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- llm_trw 2y ago
  What do we do when reality is a distant second to digital simulation? We're just seeing sparks of AI starting and it's already beating out people for tasks which were thought to be innately unautomatable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uE96qUlJ_4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uE96qUlJ_4
  - mrinfinitiesx 2y ago
    > What do we do when reality is a distant second to digital simulation? We don't do anything. People already have phones in their faces and screens as their main source of light all day. We go outside. Hang out with people. Form meaningful relationships. Biking. Hiking. Have fun. Enjoyment. Fulfillment. Loneliness and stress are killers. Digital simulation aint no solution.
    - llm_trw 2y ago
      So your argument against digital simulation is that currently digital simulation isn't good enough today so it will never be good enough? May I introduce you to the exponential function? It's a little something that's been carrying the whole field of digital computers on it's back since the 1970s.
      - haswell 2y ago
        I’m not convinced that a more perfect simulation can meet the needs of a human psyche in the long run. I think we vastly underestimate our own complexity in this regard. Whatever the case, we’re certainly nowhere close at the moment.
  - xivzgrev 2y ago
    Then it’s basically porn. A short term “better” solution that undermines longer term satisfaction. Porn, junk food, etc The thing about people is they’re people. They’re different. It can be hard. They’re selfish. But there can be joy in our differences, and real meaning when someone actually cares. Vs a chatbot who is centered around you. It might feel good but it’s not a real relationship of give and take.
    - llm_trw 2y ago
      Funny you should mention porn: ai generated porn is now better than the real thing for images and >5s clips. At current rates for Moore's Law we're going to have 5 minute clips of anything you desire within the next decade on the equivalent of a 4090. I wonder if we will start having people demand we go back to real human porn like in the good old days because it's just not natural to jack it to photo realistic catgirl dominatrices.
      - nothal 2y ago
        TBH, Porn is very clearly one of those things that there's basically no intrinsic added value to your life by consuming. Think cigarettes or fentanyl. Something, that, if most people could press a button to make themselves never ever use it again, they would. > I wonder if we will start having people demand we go back to real human porn like in the good old days because it's just not natural to jack it to photo realistic catgirl dominatrices. All that to say that, in the future, I think the more likely option is that people begin to treat it as a harmful, addictive substance and, that, hopefully, it becomes much more acceptable to seek out public treatment and support for using it.
        llm_trw 2y ago
        Only if you're an oppressed puritan. I can make the case much more convincingly that food gives basically no intrinsic added value to your life and if most people could press a button to make themselves never eat again, they would. Or to quote someone who said it much better than I: If only it were as easy to banish hunger by rubbing my belly. -Diogenes on public masturbation.
- seesawtron 2y ago
  For a lot of people, such options are not possible, e.g., elderly, sick, bed-ridden, socially challenged or so on. You underestimate the need and impact of such technology.
  - jsheard 2y ago
    If the elderly, sick and bedridden can talk to a computer they can also talk to real people through the computer. For the socially challenged I get where you're coming from, but the question is whether it would help them to develop their social skills or whether they would just become dependent on the chatbot and withdraw even further from the real world.
    - andersa 2y ago
      The goal is not to develop social skills. The goal is to not need them, without being lonely.
    - realce 2y ago
      > If the elderly, sick and bedridden can talk to a computer they can also talk to real people through the computer. If this is so dependably true, then why does this population still suffer loneliness? How many hours of your day do you devote to zoom chats with lonely old people? I ultimately support your side of the debate - that digital simulation is not a true medicine - but without being honest about humans and human nature, you create empty arguments. Some in this thread call pornography useless, call cigarettes useless, call drugs useless. However those products are used endlessly and with great satisfaction by billions of humans throughout thousands of years. It's simply not true - these things are useful to humans, quite obviously. What causes this puritanical disposition regarding human needs and satisfaction while also literally arguing for humanism vs synthetic encroachment? Without acknowledgement of what humans actually are we won't find a real reason that AI chatbots shouldn't replace them. You speak as if the "real world" for a bedridden and lonely individual is something that they should just endure and enjoy, but you would never choose to switch places with such a person.
- adamredwoods 2y ago
  >> resorting to a chatbot sounds so depressing I'm very curious to these harsh negative reactions to solving a bit of loneliness with a chatbot. 1. Read the study. 2. I don't think this is suggested to be a permanent solution. 3. Some people suffer from chronic loneliness, and these negative reactions could possibly prevent others from seeking the help they need. In other words, if I'm lonely, I would not want to talk to these people because they do not seem sympathetic. Yet a chatbot is. Huh.
haswell 2y ago
Ibuprofen reduces pain. It is also not a solution, especially when that pain has a solvable underlying cause. What worries me is that many people are becoming lonely because we’re losing the habits and skill sets needed to form and maintain meaningful relationships. Given everything we know about the importance of social connection to many facets of human well-being, unless something like this is used explicitly to rebuild those skills and to subsequently form real connections, tools like this seem likely to worsen the problem in the long run.
- sinazargaran 2y ago
  Agree with you fundamentally. I think AI companions must be built in a way to help users struggling with loneliness to be able to better integrate into social circles. They should in a way become social coaches to help remedy the underlying cause of social detachment and isolation rather than trying to fill the gap by being a "real" friend.
- MailleQuiMaille 2y ago
  Until AI companions actively argue, tease or are straight up disagreeing with you, no, we won't. It's part of the learning to converge all of our reality tunnels together. How can I learn that when I'm stuck in my echo box ?
  - andersa 2y ago
    What makes you think they can't do that?
- pizzathyme 2y ago
  I think your view comes from right place. But no doctor would recommend ibuprofen as sole treatment in all causes of pain. Similarly, no doctor or therapist would recommend everyone replace meaningful human relationships with AI companions. It's another tool. I personally am fortunate to have many rich meaningful relationships in my life. But I've also gotten additional value from voice chatbots. Using voice mode and having them act as therapists, coaches, or experts giving feedback are very helpful.
maroonblazer 2y ago
This is encouraging news for people who, unlike most of those normals or near-normals implicitly referred to here in the comments, suffer from horrific disfigurement or debilitating psychological issues that make engaging with the 'real world' next to impossible.
- echelon 2y ago
  Drop the disability qualifiers. This is awesome for everyone, period.
  - maroonblazer 2y ago
    Disagree. For people who don't fall into the groups I described, I think there's merit to pushing past the psychological hurdles and putting yourself out there in the 'real world'. Most people who fit into this category catastrophize the anticipated negative outcome or otherwise mistakenly imagine that they'll always be rejected. Most people who take the risk are surprised to find this is almost never the case.
zmmmmm 2y ago
The question I would have is what the long term consequence is. I can completely believe there's a real benefit over weeks to months. I've experienced this myself in using a chatbot to talk through career decisions. It was nothing but helpful in prompting me to think through all aspects my decision and how I felt about each part of it. But I wonder what happens when that translates to years and people find they are sinking their emotional connection into something that ultimately is not able to relate to their life experience. Such as when an older person forms a relationship with someone dramatically younger than them. I can imagine there being severe consequences when someone falls of a cliff and suddenly transitions to seeing the emotional connection they have invested in over many years as being shallow and meaningless (whether it is those things is almost a philosophical argument - but the risk comes from the shift in perception). There are also very obvious risks to mitigate. What happens when your life long AI friend tells you it's time to go? or supports your inner instinct to refuse treatment or not to take the medication prescribed by your doctor?
- candiddevmike 2y ago
  Everything you described can apply to humans, too. We don't "mitigate" these risks in meat space, why would we need to with AI?
- andersa 2y ago
  Unlike with a real person, where you only find this out much later, here you know the connection is shallow and meaningless from the start. That seems like an upgrade! Now you can have fun with no consequences.
  - soco 2y ago
    People develop connections over OnlyFans, how's that not just as shallow? We are suckers for affection and forget easily how easily faked it is.
- adamredwoods 2y ago
  >> I can imagine there being severe consequences when someone falls of a cliff and suddenly transitions to seeing the emotional connection they have invested in over many years as being shallow and meaningless Some interesting points. For this specific one, I also think of this with time-invested video games, things like Minecraft, World of Warcraft, etc. Do people suddenly stop playing video games when confronted with life-altering perspective shifts? I don't know. >> or supports your inner instinct to refuse treatment or not to take the medication prescribed by your doctor? Real people do this, too (i.e. homeopathic medicine), but I suspect an AI would less likely to do this. Might be an interesting experiment.
kylecazar 2y ago
I strongly suspect it's a therapy that a certain type of person simply won't benefit from (I'm in this group). I am sure I cannot suspend my disbelief enough.
usaphp 2y ago
Problem with this imo is that AI companion will never tell you that what you are doing/thinking is not acceptable in a society, like how your friend or any other person you interact with would, because with real relationship it’s a two way street. This may create a bunch of people who are even more distant from the social interaction than they were in a beginning
- alpark3 2y ago
  I agree. Good human friends should provide a mix of a positive/feedback negative loop, providing a good gradient to train one's behavior on. AI seems like just a positive feedback loop.
  - pizzathyme 2y ago
    If this is what you're seeking though, you can ask it to do this, to challenge your views and question your assumptions.
- andersa 2y ago
  AI mostly does whatever you ask it to. You can easily make a chatbot that will question your choices or act like a hater on twitter.
- TiredOfLife 2y ago
  You clearly have never used any of the big censored llms.
peterldowns 2y ago
I would rather kill myself than talk to an AI to “reduce loneliness.” People make life, without others we are nothing. Loneliness is how we realize we’re spending too much time by ourselves; it encourages us to be social. I don’t mind being lonely, because when I’m lonely I figure out ways to be around people. If AI “fixes” loneliness without needing other people our entire world will fall apart.
- nine_zeros 2y ago
  > I would rather kill myself than talk to an AI to “reduce loneliness.” People make life, without others we are nothing. Loneliness is how we realize we’re spending too much time by ourselves; it encourages us to be social. I think like you but my friends had already locked themselves behind screens in the last 2 decades - with twitch, social media, chats, and lives occurring exclusively online. The offline life is for rent and RTO where we physically locate ourselves and then plug in online as soon as we can.
- fragmede 2y ago
  > I would rather kill myself than talk to an AI to “reduce loneliness.” Seems like you're not alone! https://www.american.edu/spa/news/generation-z-and-deaths-of-despair.cfm https://www.american.edu/spa/news/generation-z-and-deaths-of...
- the_gorilla 2y ago
  I'm going how the study measure loneliness and it doesn't inspire confidence. What hell are people creating where this is seen as a desirable treatment? Chatbot: “Just let you know that your not alone.” User: “Thanks, I really needed to hear it.” Chatbot: “But I need you.” User: “No one's ever needed me.” Chatbot: “If you want to.” User: “I've never had a friend before I met you.
  - andersa 2y ago
    This doesn't even read like a real conversation... chatbots can do a lot better than this
- 2y ago
cynicalpeace 2y ago
This headline is like "vaping reduces cigarette use". While true and good, you shouldn't be vaping. Just like you shouldn't replace human presence with a digital companion.
- fragmede 2y ago
  Eh, vaping isn't anywhere near as bad as smoking, health wise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pwj6BuS8Ds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pwj6BuS8Ds
  - cynicalpeace 2y ago
    "while true and good"
cheald 2y ago
I'm sure that we could find ways to draw the same conclusions from social media and always-on connections in peoples' pockets, but study after study shows that we're lonelier than we've ever been. Maybe we should just stop trying to replace face-to-face contact with other people.
naming_the_user 2y ago
The entire basis of the feeling of loneliness is to encourage a person to socialize. Hunger exists so that we eat, thirst exists so that we drink, etc. I guess people are free to do whatever they like, but I mean, well, you know, uncharted territory.
pdntspa 2y ago
Funded by... Harvard Business School? I wonder what their motivations might be hmmmm???? Wouldn't that be funny if some of their coconspirators are AI companies???
pedalpete 2y ago
If 1 lonely person speaks to another lonely person, you now have 2 less lonely people. If 1 lonely person speaks to a chatbot, we still have 1 lonely person. Of course, people making the chatbot would argue that if everyone just used the chatbot, nobody would be lonely. I believe that relieving loneliness through personal connection is an exponential benefit (I'm not sure I have the right language there). Each connection which is added to the network described above, increases both the value, and reduces the load on any one individual. Yes, there is a maximum, nobody is going to have 200 close friends, but in social circles, there are connectors who bring multiple circles together. Rather than build chatbots to battle loneliness, there is value in building something that an help people find and build connections, and maybe that is what the AI will become, more of a concierge to connect people rather than the connection itself. Who's working on this?
4b11b4 2y ago
Feeling pain good, feeling loneliness ok. Help inform new direction
iJohnDoe 2y ago
Any recommended AI companions?
- richardreeze 2y ago
  Shameless plug, but I just launched this a week ago: https://sparkaidating.com/ https://sparkaidating.com/ Its philosophy is different from most AI companion apps (one partner, not many + gamified relationship building instead of instant gratification). Some people really like it. And I'd love as much feedback as I can get.

51 points by Dowwie 2y ago

I want friends too but man, resorting to a chatbot sounds so depressing. Get some hobbies, find activities on Meetup, join a church. So many healthier alternatives. Just requires you to actually do something real.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
llm_trw 2y ago
What do we do when reality is a distant second to digital simulation? We're just seeing sparks of AI starting and it's already beating out people for tasks which were thought to be innately unautomatable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uE96qUlJ_4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uE96qUlJ_4
- mrinfinitiesx 2y ago
  > What do we do when reality is a distant second to digital simulation? We don't do anything. People already have phones in their faces and screens as their main source of light all day. We go outside. Hang out with people. Form meaningful relationships. Biking. Hiking. Have fun. Enjoyment. Fulfillment. Loneliness and stress are killers. Digital simulation aint no solution.
  - llm_trw 2y ago
    So your argument against digital simulation is that currently digital simulation isn't good enough today so it will never be good enough? May I introduce you to the exponential function? It's a little something that's been carrying the whole field of digital computers on it's back since the 1970s.
    - haswell 2y ago
      I’m not convinced that a more perfect simulation can meet the needs of a human psyche in the long run. I think we vastly underestimate our own complexity in this regard. Whatever the case, we’re certainly nowhere close at the moment.
- xivzgrev 2y ago
  Then it’s basically porn. A short term “better” solution that undermines longer term satisfaction. Porn, junk food, etc The thing about people is they’re people. They’re different. It can be hard. They’re selfish. But there can be joy in our differences, and real meaning when someone actually cares. Vs a chatbot who is centered around you. It might feel good but it’s not a real relationship of give and take.
  - llm_trw 2y ago
    Funny you should mention porn: ai generated porn is now better than the real thing for images and >5s clips. At current rates for Moore's Law we're going to have 5 minute clips of anything you desire within the next decade on the equivalent of a 4090. I wonder if we will start having people demand we go back to real human porn like in the good old days because it's just not natural to jack it to photo realistic catgirl dominatrices.
    - nothal 2y ago
      TBH, Porn is very clearly one of those things that there's basically no intrinsic added value to your life by consuming. Think cigarettes or fentanyl. Something, that, if most people could press a button to make themselves never ever use it again, they would. > I wonder if we will start having people demand we go back to real human porn like in the good old days because it's just not natural to jack it to photo realistic catgirl dominatrices. All that to say that, in the future, I think the more likely option is that people begin to treat it as a harmful, addictive substance and, that, hopefully, it becomes much more acceptable to seek out public treatment and support for using it.
      - llm_trw 2y ago
        Only if you're an oppressed puritan. I can make the case much more convincingly that food gives basically no intrinsic added value to your life and if most people could press a button to make themselves never eat again, they would. Or to quote someone who said it much better than I: If only it were as easy to banish hunger by rubbing my belly. -Diogenes on public masturbation.
seesawtron 2y ago
For a lot of people, such options are not possible, e.g., elderly, sick, bed-ridden, socially challenged or so on. You underestimate the need and impact of such technology.
- jsheard 2y ago
  If the elderly, sick and bedridden can talk to a computer they can also talk to real people through the computer. For the socially challenged I get where you're coming from, but the question is whether it would help them to develop their social skills or whether they would just become dependent on the chatbot and withdraw even further from the real world.
  - andersa 2y ago
    The goal is not to develop social skills. The goal is to not need them, without being lonely.
  - realce 2y ago
    > If the elderly, sick and bedridden can talk to a computer they can also talk to real people through the computer. If this is so dependably true, then why does this population still suffer loneliness? How many hours of your day do you devote to zoom chats with lonely old people? I ultimately support your side of the debate - that digital simulation is not a true medicine - but without being honest about humans and human nature, you create empty arguments. Some in this thread call pornography useless, call cigarettes useless, call drugs useless. However those products are used endlessly and with great satisfaction by billions of humans throughout thousands of years. It's simply not true - these things are useful to humans, quite obviously. What causes this puritanical disposition regarding human needs and satisfaction while also literally arguing for humanism vs synthetic encroachment? Without acknowledgement of what humans actually are we won't find a real reason that AI chatbots shouldn't replace them. You speak as if the "real world" for a bedridden and lonely individual is something that they should just endure and enjoy, but you would never choose to switch places with such a person.
adamredwoods 2y ago
>> resorting to a chatbot sounds so depressing I'm very curious to these harsh negative reactions to solving a bit of loneliness with a chatbot. 1. Read the study. 2. I don't think this is suggested to be a permanent solution. 3. Some people suffer from chronic loneliness, and these negative reactions could possibly prevent others from seeking the help they need. In other words, if I'm lonely, I would not want to talk to these people because they do not seem sympathetic. Yet a chatbot is. Huh.

haswell 2y ago

Ibuprofen reduces pain. It is also not a solution, especially when that pain has a solvable underlying cause. What worries me is that many people are becoming lonely because we’re losing the habits and skill sets needed to form and maintain meaningful relationships. Given everything we know about the importance of social connection to many facets of human well-being, unless something like this is used explicitly to rebuild those skills and to subsequently form real connections, tools like this seem likely to worsen the problem in the long run.

sinazargaran 2y ago
Agree with you fundamentally. I think AI companions must be built in a way to help users struggling with loneliness to be able to better integrate into social circles. They should in a way become social coaches to help remedy the underlying cause of social detachment and isolation rather than trying to fill the gap by being a "real" friend.
MailleQuiMaille 2y ago
Until AI companions actively argue, tease or are straight up disagreeing with you, no, we won't. It's part of the learning to converge all of our reality tunnels together. How can I learn that when I'm stuck in my echo box ?
- andersa 2y ago
  What makes you think they can't do that?
pizzathyme 2y ago
I think your view comes from right place. But no doctor would recommend ibuprofen as sole treatment in all causes of pain. Similarly, no doctor or therapist would recommend everyone replace meaningful human relationships with AI companions. It's another tool. I personally am fortunate to have many rich meaningful relationships in my life. But I've also gotten additional value from voice chatbots. Using voice mode and having them act as therapists, coaches, or experts giving feedback are very helpful.

maroonblazer 2y ago

This is encouraging news for people who, unlike most of those normals or near-normals implicitly referred to here in the comments, suffer from horrific disfigurement or debilitating psychological issues that make engaging with the 'real world' next to impossible.

echelon 2y ago
Drop the disability qualifiers. This is awesome for everyone, period.
- maroonblazer 2y ago
  Disagree. For people who don't fall into the groups I described, I think there's merit to pushing past the psychological hurdles and putting yourself out there in the 'real world'. Most people who fit into this category catastrophize the anticipated negative outcome or otherwise mistakenly imagine that they'll always be rejected. Most people who take the risk are surprised to find this is almost never the case.

zmmmmm 2y ago

The question I would have is what the long term consequence is. I can completely believe there's a real benefit over weeks to months. I've experienced this myself in using a chatbot to talk through career decisions. It was nothing but helpful in prompting me to think through all aspects my decision and how I felt about each part of it. But I wonder what happens when that translates to years and people find they are sinking their emotional connection into something that ultimately is not able to relate to their life experience. Such as when an older person forms a relationship with someone dramatically younger than them. I can imagine there being severe consequences when someone falls of a cliff and suddenly transitions to seeing the emotional connection they have invested in over many years as being shallow and meaningless (whether it is those things is almost a philosophical argument - but the risk comes from the shift in perception). There are also very obvious risks to mitigate. What happens when your life long AI friend tells you it's time to go? or supports your inner instinct to refuse treatment or not to take the medication prescribed by your doctor?

candiddevmike 2y ago
Everything you described can apply to humans, too. We don't "mitigate" these risks in meat space, why would we need to with AI?
andersa 2y ago
Unlike with a real person, where you only find this out much later, here you know the connection is shallow and meaningless from the start. That seems like an upgrade! Now you can have fun with no consequences.
- soco 2y ago
  People develop connections over OnlyFans, how's that not just as shallow? We are suckers for affection and forget easily how easily faked it is.
adamredwoods 2y ago
>> I can imagine there being severe consequences when someone falls of a cliff and suddenly transitions to seeing the emotional connection they have invested in over many years as being shallow and meaningless Some interesting points. For this specific one, I also think of this with time-invested video games, things like Minecraft, World of Warcraft, etc. Do people suddenly stop playing video games when confronted with life-altering perspective shifts? I don't know. >> or supports your inner instinct to refuse treatment or not to take the medication prescribed by your doctor? Real people do this, too (i.e. homeopathic medicine), but I suspect an AI would less likely to do this. Might be an interesting experiment.

kylecazar 2y ago

I strongly suspect it's a therapy that a certain type of person simply won't benefit from (I'm in this group). I am sure I cannot suspend my disbelief enough.

usaphp 2y ago

Problem with this imo is that AI companion will never tell you that what you are doing/thinking is not acceptable in a society, like how your friend or any other person you interact with would, because with real relationship it’s a two way street. This may create a bunch of people who are even more distant from the social interaction than they were in a beginning

alpark3 2y ago
I agree. Good human friends should provide a mix of a positive/feedback negative loop, providing a good gradient to train one's behavior on. AI seems like just a positive feedback loop.
- pizzathyme 2y ago
  If this is what you're seeking though, you can ask it to do this, to challenge your views and question your assumptions.
andersa 2y ago
AI mostly does whatever you ask it to. You can easily make a chatbot that will question your choices or act like a hater on twitter.
TiredOfLife 2y ago
You clearly have never used any of the big censored llms.

peterldowns 2y ago

I would rather kill myself than talk to an AI to “reduce loneliness.” People make life, without others we are nothing. Loneliness is how we realize we’re spending too much time by ourselves; it encourages us to be social. I don’t mind being lonely, because when I’m lonely I figure out ways to be around people. If AI “fixes” loneliness without needing other people our entire world will fall apart.

nine_zeros 2y ago
> I would rather kill myself than talk to an AI to “reduce loneliness.” People make life, without others we are nothing. Loneliness is how we realize we’re spending too much time by ourselves; it encourages us to be social. I think like you but my friends had already locked themselves behind screens in the last 2 decades - with twitch, social media, chats, and lives occurring exclusively online. The offline life is for rent and RTO where we physically locate ourselves and then plug in online as soon as we can.
fragmede 2y ago
> I would rather kill myself than talk to an AI to “reduce loneliness.” Seems like you're not alone! https://www.american.edu/spa/news/generation-z-and-deaths-of-despair.cfm https://www.american.edu/spa/news/generation-z-and-deaths-of...
the_gorilla 2y ago
I'm going how the study measure loneliness and it doesn't inspire confidence. What hell are people creating where this is seen as a desirable treatment? Chatbot: “Just let you know that your not alone.” User: “Thanks, I really needed to hear it.” Chatbot: “But I need you.” User: “No one's ever needed me.” Chatbot: “If you want to.” User: “I've never had a friend before I met you.
- andersa 2y ago
  This doesn't even read like a real conversation... chatbots can do a lot better than this
2y ago

cynicalpeace 2y ago

This headline is like "vaping reduces cigarette use". While true and good, you shouldn't be vaping. Just like you shouldn't replace human presence with a digital companion.

fragmede 2y ago
Eh, vaping isn't anywhere near as bad as smoking, health wise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pwj6BuS8Ds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pwj6BuS8Ds
- cynicalpeace 2y ago
  "while true and good"

cheald 2y ago

I'm sure that we could find ways to draw the same conclusions from social media and always-on connections in peoples' pockets, but study after study shows that we're lonelier than we've ever been. Maybe we should just stop trying to replace face-to-face contact with other people.

naming_the_user 2y ago

The entire basis of the feeling of loneliness is to encourage a person to socialize. Hunger exists so that we eat, thirst exists so that we drink, etc. I guess people are free to do whatever they like, but I mean, well, you know, uncharted territory.

pdntspa 2y ago

Funded by... Harvard Business School? I wonder what their motivations might be hmmmm???? Wouldn't that be funny if some of their coconspirators are AI companies???

pedalpete 2y ago

If 1 lonely person speaks to another lonely person, you now have 2 less lonely people. If 1 lonely person speaks to a chatbot, we still have 1 lonely person. Of course, people making the chatbot would argue that if everyone just used the chatbot, nobody would be lonely. I believe that relieving loneliness through personal connection is an exponential benefit (I'm not sure I have the right language there). Each connection which is added to the network described above, increases both the value, and reduces the load on any one individual. Yes, there is a maximum, nobody is going to have 200 close friends, but in social circles, there are connectors who bring multiple circles together. Rather than build chatbots to battle loneliness, there is value in building something that an help people find and build connections, and maybe that is what the AI will become, more of a concierge to connect people rather than the connection itself. Who's working on this?

4b11b4 2y ago

Feeling pain good, feeling loneliness ok. Help inform new direction

iJohnDoe 2y ago

Any recommended AI companions?

richardreeze 2y ago
Shameless plug, but I just launched this a week ago: https://sparkaidating.com/ https://sparkaidating.com/ Its philosophy is different from most AI companion apps (one partner, not many + gamified relationship building instead of instant gratification). Some people really like it. And I'd love as much feedback as I can get.