@Scobleizer
With virtual beings coming, more of us will be talking to AI's. For the lonely they can offer a lifeline. My special needs son, for instance, doesn't have any interest in talking with people, but loves talking with ChatGPT. There's a new raft of AI companions that adapt to emotional dependency coming, and that's what @IrenaCronin and I cover in our weekly newsletter this week. There is a downside. AI companions optimized for engagement can learn to deepen users’ emotional dependency, turning loneliness into a behavior that the system quietly reinforces and monetizes. With different metrics, product choices, governance, and social supports, the same technology can instead be steered toward healthy boundaries, user autonomy, and stronger real-world relationships. Read for free: https://t.co/HHwYy7NoAl (please subscribe too!)