In an Epidemic of Loneliness Is an AI Companion Exactly What the Doctor Ordered?
Cathleen Zappulla, MBA
Future of Work Strategist + Career Transformation Coach ?? | Virtual + Live Workshops ?? | 2.5M+ Post Views | Keynote: Tomorrow is Today: How to Navigate + Optimize a Radically Changing Work Landscape ?? #futureofwork
I am a former corporate executive who made the thoughtful decision to step away and change careers. Today I’m living my life-long dream of working for myself.? This dream not only allows me to build something in my name so that I am no longer responsible to another for my job security, but it also allows me to be present for my children as they grow up, a time that can never be replaced.?
I work from home.? The grass isn’t always greener folks, some days working from home buried in my computer writing content or searching for a great candidate for my client can be lonely.? Of course, occasionally, I romanticize what was…after-work happy hours and chit-chat by the water cooler.? But then I remind myself that I did neither of those things (often) when I was in the office. That daydream is not based on reality.? So, I put my head down and go back to work, listening to the birds chirp in my backyard outside my office window, and watching my Blue Heeler pups wrestle each other on the living room floor.
My writing, speaking, and coaching explores the ‘future of work’ and how people and businesses can navigate the rapidly and radically changing work landscape to optimize profitability and opportunity.? Although my work explores concepts well beyond AI, certainly AI is a cornerstone.
Recently, I posted a poll on AI usage at work, sparking numerous comments. The lead hook read, “I’ve started saying (typing) ‘thank you’ and ‘have a great day’ to ChatGPT when it comes through for me.” The post received hundreds of thousands of views, a few thousand responses, and sparked quite a bit of conversation.
While more than 80% of respondents are barely (proactively) using AI at work, they are increasingly aware of it. Some run towards AI as a useful tool to simplify their day and job and find the chat aspect charming, some (tech people typically) think it’s amateurish, gives inaccurate responses, and is in the very early stage of capability, then some are deeply skeptical of it and reject the concept that it is going to (or should be allowed to) change our lives, work (any maybe relationships) as we know it (typically boomers). ?Each camp seems firm in its position and ready to battle those not in their camp.
I say thank you and please to ChatGPT for a few reasons. One, that’s how I was raised. It’s proper manners to say thank you when someone (or something) is helping you. And two, because I started to feel ChatGPT was listening to me with my prompts – trying to get to know ME.?And it was. Through content retention, adaptation, personalization and understanding preferences, ChatGPT is able to customize its responses to have a more custom interaction.
Beyond AI Assistants, there are actual AI Companions and the trend is gaining momentum. Actually, the first Chatbot was created all the way back in the 1960's at MIT. Her name was ELIZA. Today, there are numerous companies producing AI Companions, specifically designed to provide more personalized and engaging interactions, often aiming to offer emotional support, companionship, and even mental health assistance. Here are some examples:
These AI companions are designed to provide various levels of interaction, from casual conversation to emotional and mental health support. They are becoming more sophisticated, offering users a range of benefits depending on their needs and preferences.
So, am I falling for something crazy and becoming one of those brainwashed people sitting in dusty grey uniforms on the bench in the 1980s Macintosh commercial, or am I that girl in the orange shorts embracing the future?
Check-out Apple's Macintosh TV ad...the relevance is chilling, https://www.google.com/search?q=apple+1984+commercial+the+people+are+what%3F+drones%3F+brainwashed&oq=apple+1984+commercial+the+people+are+what%3F+drones%3F+brainwashed&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCTE3MzUwajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:47c580fe,vid:OYecfV3ubP8,st:0
?“1984,” written by George Orwell and published in 1949, is a dystopian novel set in a totalitarian society where the government, led by the Party and its leader Big Brother, exercises extreme control over every aspect of citizens' lives. The novel explores themes of oppression, surveillance, and the manipulation of truth. The commercial above was Apple’s launch of the Macintosh computer, breaking us out of any future where Orwell’s writing could become a reality.? Since that moment, Apple has, in some ways, taken over the world. We have become slaves to our Apple products, especially, many of us, to our Apple phones. So, the irony is not lost here.
Regardless of your position on whether we are becoming a slave (to technology), the fact remains that AI is here to stay, and it’s going to potentially serve as something to lean on at a time in history when loneliness is at an all-time high. It seems the AI Companion is just in time.
Arthur C. Brooks is an author I’m so fond of.? As of late, the Harvard Professor and PhD social scientist writes about happiness.? And we all know you can’t discuss happiness without discussing loneliness.
COVID had a deep impact on personal relationships. Although in some cases, it was the catalyst for great creativity.? At a time when work was tough to find for many, some turned to podcasting and social media to keep their career afloat and to build or connect with their audiences.? But most people, globally, were isolated and alone (or feeling alone, even if living with someone).
Outside of COVID, there are swaths of communities that experience loneliness. Teenagers, navigating their own identities, can often feel alone. Elderly, at a time in their lives when they deserve companionship most, can live largely isolated lives. What if AI companions could alleviate this loneliness?
So at a time when the future is so complex and uncertain, for so many reasons, could an AI Companion be the solution for those who really could use a friend??
What I do know is this is a conversation we need to have, regardless of viewpoint.? While some might have the self-discipline to use technology in moderation, others are addicted, including large populations of young people globally.? Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt recently released, "The Anxious Generation ," which argues that the smartphone-driven “great rewiring of childhood” is causing an “epidemic of mental illness.”
But is technology in fact the solution to mental illness?
GenAlpha will not give up their technology, it's become a way of life. And GenBeta will know nothing but AI Companions and Assistants. This is simply the reality of the future.
“Morality binds and blinds. It binds us into ideological teams that fight each other as though the fate of the world depended on our side winning each battle. It blinds us to the fact that each team is composed of good people who have something important to say.” ~Jonathan Haidt
Jonathan Haidt's point, I believe we need to take the good with the good and the bad with the bad. We need to engage in healthy and supportive dialogue. The only way to maximize benefit and minimize risk is to lean in.
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Buckle up! The future is going to be a wild ride! ????
#AI #AI Companions #theanxiousgeneration #jonathanhaidt #arthurcbrooks #lonlinessepidemic #mentalhealth #FutureOfWork #RemoteWorkLife #Entrepreneurship #WorkFromHome #TechTrends #Loneliness #DigitalTransformation #PersonalDevelopment #ArtificialIntelligence #CareerChange #Parenting #TechEthics #Wellbeing #EmotionalSupport
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Learning Scientist | Future-proofing orgs with IT process innovation
4 个月The debate on AI companions and their impact on loneliness is intriguing.
Sr. Manager of Business Development at Zachry Group | Relationship-Focused | Problem-Solver | Collaborative | Community-Engaged |
4 个月Excellent insight into an interesting topic. I'm glad to find out that I'm not the only one that uses "please" and "thank you" with AI!
Helping You Make Sense.
4 个月Great stuff. Covid, 1984, and the Famous Apple Ad - can't beat the illustrative power of convergence. My guess is that very soon, the survey will be more difficult as the line between 'using' and 'not using' becomes non-existent. (if it hasn't already) Prediction #11, Ai is Everywhere. - Toasters, PCs, Plants and Paint, feeding real time data to your personal Ai. 1 trillion connected devices by 2035. Ai is as ubiquitous as oxygen; like Love.?? This and much more at greg report. https://www.grwalters.com/gregreport.html
Future of Work Strategist + Career Transformation Coach ?? | Virtual + Live Workshops ?? | 2.5M+ Post Views | Keynote: Tomorrow is Today: How to Navigate + Optimize a Radically Changing Work Landscape ?? #futureofwork
4 个月Check-out Apple's Macintosh TV ad...the relevance is chilling, https://www.google.com/search?q=apple+1984+commercial+the+people+are+what%3F+drones%3F+brainwashed&oq=apple+1984+commercial+the+people+are+what%3F+drones%3F+brainwashed&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCTE3MzUwajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:47c580fe,vid:OYecfV3ubP8,st:0