Anyone who has tried them knows they are irresistible.
AI applications don’t just answer whatever questions they’re asked—most of the time, they do so accurately and clearly.
What makes them stand out is the way they do it, like a polite, all-knowing person.
They greet the user, ask how they are, offer encouragement, and assure them that they are there to help if needed. And at the end, they wish them good luck or success if it’s warranted.
It’s easy, therefore, to forget that behind these responses are algorithms, not people.
Especially when we’re not just talking about typical AI programs like ChatGPT, but AI companions specifically designed to respond in a sympathetic and realistic manner when someone shares their thoughts or problems.
One of the biggest problems of our time is loneliness.
It is a tragic irony that in an age when there are more people on Earth than ever before and we have every means available to communicate and express ourselves, we are still so lonely.
Loneliness affects one-third of adults worldwide, and this proportion is increasing. It’s linked to mental health issues like depression and anxiety, as well as physical health risks, such as a higher likelihood of death among cancer patients.
That’s why it’s no surprise that some countries are even creating Ministries of Loneliness to address these issues.
Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Julian de Freitas, a professor at Harvard Business School, noted that his studies show these AI applications do indeed work.
People who turn to them to combat their loneliness often get the results they are looking for.
In the research, those who interacted with an AI companion reported a significant reduction in their feelings of loneliness from the first week.
Over the following weeks, the improvement continued. All participants mentioned how important it was to feel like there was someone listening to them, without any judgement.
Does it matter that this “someone” is a machine? Could AI companions make people more withdrawn and lead them to avoid human contact? It’s a real risk.
However, for those who use these tools, that concern matters little. As a society struggling with loneliness, we should at least be open-minded about any tool that helps, even if just a little.
