AI chatbots have raised all manner of concern in recent months. But University of Toronto psychologist Paul Bloom believes they may have a place in our society — as companions for the elderly, for example. Yet we need to be cognizant of the risks.
The practical concern is this: We benefit from friction, from relationships, from people who call us out on our bullshit, who disagree with us, who see the world in different way, who don’t listen to every story we tell, who have their own things to say. People who are different from us force us to extend and grow and get better. I worry that these sycophantic AIs, with their “what a wonderful question!” and their endless availability, and their oozing flattery, cause real psychological damage—particularly for the young…
Read the feature interview at Nautilus.
