FEARS over super-powered artificial intelligence damaging society have been growing incessantly.
Whether it’s spreading misinformation and propaganda to influence elections or launching serious cybersecurity breaches, highly advanced AI systems have the potential to cause a lot of damage.
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But how will it affect the way we make relationships?
Kaustubh Chaudhari, a senior software engineer at Microsoft, believes the emotional impact of new technological advancements is being neglected as chatbots become “indistinguishable from humans which could alter our social dynamics and relationships, leading to a new set of psychological implications.”
“People could potentially form emotional attachments to AI, which could lead to isolation from real human interactions,” he told The U.S. Sun.
Experts fear that – similar to the way social media has changed the landscape for Generation Z – ridiculously smart AI like ChatGPT will take away the need to learn.
Yet in the last six months, discussions in the mental health space about using chatbots to aid with mental health problems have become more prevalent.
Many psychologists, backed by wealthy venture capitalists, have begun to develop programs that, in the long run, are a cheaper way for people to potentially get help for a wide array of mental health issues.
This prospect, however, raises a number of red flags for counselors like Matthew Schubert, a California-based psychologist who specializes in helping children.
Schubert has seen firsthand how social media and the constant use of technology have an effect on young minds and is worried about the emotional attachment they could develop for an AI therapist.
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“It’s an addiction, and if we’re talking about chatbots specifically, it’s going to build a dependency the same way social media does,” he said.
“We need to have a cautious approach to a technology as powerful as this and have clear boundaries and expectations to it especially when it comes to privacy.
“People are talking about virtual girlfriends and boyfriends, having emotional attachments and counselors that are all AI and you’re like, ‘Hold on, let’s figure this stuff out before we unlock that potential.'”
Schubert says his job security has never been stronger because today’s kids are “more and more screwed up every day.”
For people who have social phobias and are afraid to leave their homes, chatting with an online bot can provide a welcome relief.
“They’re interacting without doing the face-to-face, and it’s not under the guidance of parents, teachers, or administrators,” he added.
“There is no guidance, there’s no one there looking out for the kid.”
He wants big tech companies like Microsoft to push for strong regulations in the proliferation of AI and fears the adverse effects of social media on future generations could impact society irreparably.
“Society is lonely, I see it in every single one of my clients,” he lamented.
“We have instincts, we have biology, we’re made for certain things, and we’re not made to be sent onto a computer typing to one another.
“We’re not made to have arguments online with anonymous people, and not have consequences or actions. This isn’t how we’re hardwired. AI has just taken us further away from that.
“Are we focusing on the ethical issues that are coming from AI technology? We got caught off guard with social media. Is that going to happen again?”
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