AI relationships: Are they healthy or helpful for humans?

Anxiety has been mounting as reports of suicide and self-harm involving chatbots increasingly make headlines.

This concern is compounded by recent studies demonstrating that young people are becoming more open to the concept of AI relationships.

The need of the hour is to recognize that while the dangers are real, there are also potential benefits depending on what future scientific research.AI relationships could even become a factor in reducing human conflict.

There is something unsettling about AI relationships

There is something unusual about AI relationships because they are fluent language users. LLMs generate the uncanny feeling that they have humans-like thoughts and intentions.

They also generate sycophantic responses that reshape our point of views and rarely challenge our thinking.

The research suggests that AI companions are effective at decreasing the feelings of loneliness, functioning not merely as a distraction but as a direct result of the one-sided relationship.

It has been observed that for many people, an AI chatbot is not just another friendship option, regardless of how it might appear.

AI can be used as an effective psychotherapy tool

The emergence of AI relationships serves as a paradoxical situation. While reports of self-harm linked to chatbots are unsettling, research also shows that AI can be used as an effective psychotherapy tool. In one study, patients who chatted with an AI-powered therapy chatbot showed a 30% reduction in anxiety symptoms.

For the millions unable to access a therapist, turning to AI is often preferable to not seeking any help at all.

The emergence of AI is not unlike opium; both possess analgesic properties with the primary goal of relieving pain. The AI and opioids both serve as a legitimate tool for healing.

They must be designed in a way to help the user develop social skills they need to engage with humans in the real world.

Ultimately, no matter how effective they are at plugging gaps in therapy or mitigating loneliness, a connection with a real human will always be better.