While I'm a bit atypical in tolerating loneliness, if it's a problem for people then I think AI is not the solution, or any soulless computer system really. Lon

While I'm a bit atypical in tolerating loneliness, if it's a problem for people then I think AI is not the solution, or any soulless computer system really. Loneliness in the human social space is usually balanced, lonely people will meet in pairs or groups and cancel out their loneliness. This people-based system is somewhat resistant against abuse because people are pairwise interested in keeping the system going. (Of course there are spies and such who prey on emotions but they're not common as far as I know.) With AI, the meta changes and suddenly you must pay for system. The system could start jacking up prices or punitively denying politically unpalatable people their loneliness treatment simply because of the prevailing social forces. Especially if ekeing out more profit over time is the true objective, providing the social good of allaying loneliness will become secondary. I don't see this as a good thing. It is basically an AI form of drug dealing with extra steps.