Recently, Eric Schmidt, the 68-year-old former Google CEO, was in a conversation with entrepreneur and marketing professor Scott Galloway, where he expressed his concerns about the AI chatbots. He warned people especially young men about artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots that are increasing loneliness among them.
What is an AI girlfriend?
Eric explained the concept of AI girlfriend and said, “Imagine that the AI girlfriend, or boyfriend, is perfect, perfect visually, perfect emotionally. The AI girlfriend captures your mind as a man to the point where she takes over the way you're thinking.”
“You're obsessed with her. That kind of obsession is possible especially with people who are not fully formed,” he further added.
He further explained his concern and said, “You put a 12 or a 13-year-old in front of one of these things and they have access to every evil as well as every good in the world, and they are not ready to take it.”
“Parents are going to have to be more involved for all the obvious reasons, but at the end of the day, parents can only control what their sons and daughters are doing within reason,” Schmidt added.
Eric shared about the use of social medial algorithms and said, “Because of the social media algorithms, they find like-minded people who ultimately radicalize them, either in a horrific way, like terrorism, or in the kind of way you’re describing. They’re just maladjusted.”
Eric then explained the chance of men getting into the trap and said, “Many of the traditional paths are no longer as available and so they turn to the online world for enjoyment and sustenance and because of the social media algorithms, they find like-minded people who ultimately radicalise them, either in a horrific way, like terrorism, or in the kind of way you're describing - they're just maladjusted.”
Ex-Google CEO said that it is possible for AI girlfriends to make the loneliness epidemic worse for men and contribute to bigger social issues like misogyny and terrorism as well.
Sewell Setzer III, who was diagnosed with mild Asperger’s syndrome as a child wrote, “I like staying in my room so much because I start to detach from this ‘reality,’ and I also feel more at peace, more connected with Dany and much more in love with her, and just happier.”