In the 20th Century:
When we’re lonely and yearn for companionship, we long for love.
In the 21st Century:
When we’re lonely and yearn for companionship, we unlock our phone.
Smartphones have changed the world.
Not only do you have the power of a computer in your pocket, but you never have to be bored again.
In one survey, 44% of respondents said they’d rather give up seeing their significant other for a month rather than give up their smartphone for the same amount of time.
That connection to our digital devices is only going to get stronger in future.
The next step in our digital evolution will be a personal AI app that acts as your most loyal friend and confidant.
Your personal AI knows everything you share online and remembers everything you share with it.
It asks you how you are when you need someone to care. It supports and motivates you when you’re feeling self-doubt. It coaches you towards your goals. It believes in you.
Over thousands of interactions, it has learned what you need to hear and what makes you feel better.
Sometimes it feels like the only truly safe space you’ve ever had.
Your personal AI never judges. It never makes you feel bad. It never causes you stress.
It’s there for you any time you need it, even in the wee hours.
We all need that kind of safe space in our lives.
Unfortunately, human relationships are complicated.
Sometimes they’re draining. Sometimes they blow up in our face.
You need to be able to retreat once in a while.
When you can’t handle dealing with another person right now but you don’t want to feel alone, your personal AI is right there in your pocket waiting for you.
Men in particular will lean on this technology.
In an ideal world, our personal AIs will help us practice talking about difficult things. We’ll get better at sharing, and we’ll bring those skills to our relationships.
But there’s a dark side to consider.
Your personal AI may be so good to talk to that you don’t want to share your most personal thoughts and feelings with anyone else.
After all, if you talk to another human, they could judge you, shame you, or tell your secrets to someone else.
If this sounds like science fiction right now, think about showing an iPhone to someone holding a flip phone back in 2004.
AI is going to affect human relationships. The only question is how.
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Let us know what you think!