Will AI fix the loneliness epidemic? Experts explain why it won’t

Source Domain: www.cnn.com

The CNN Original Series “Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever” follows journalist Kara Swisher as she explores the booming business of life extension and the people determined to defy death. Watch the fourth episode at 9 p.m. ET Saturday, and stream the premiere episode on the CNN app.

Say everyone had a best friend who was always available, never judgmental, totally on the same page about everything and needed nothing in return. Wouldn’t that solve the loneliness so many people are facing?

No, experts say. In fact, having a best friend like that might make things much worse.

That potential “BFF” already exists in artificial intelligence — a technology that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg suggested last year could help fix feelings of loneliness and isolation. This is a problem that needs solving.

The World Health Organization made loneliness a global health priority in 2023. The US Surgeon General called loneliness a national epidemic the same year. And the crisis is a public health issue, as research has found that people who experience social isolation had a 32% higher risk of dying early compared with those who do not.

In this week’s episode of CNN’s “Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever,” airing at 9 p.m. ET Saturday, May 9, Swisher digs deeper into the impact loneliness has on longevity, the ways people can feel more connected, and whether AI is helping or harming efforts toward less social isolation.

Swisher, a journalist, gave both AI companionship and analog relationship building a try in this week’s episode. Spoiler: AI had its draw but was no match for what she experienced in person.

“Social media was a gateway drug to AI companionship,” said Dr. Sherry Turkle, the Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at…

Source