How does AI impact human relationships

A team at Princeton have set about researching how the use of AI Companion Chatbots impacts human relationships.

A sense of connection and community is one of the most powerful drivers of longevity and a lot has been written about the loneliness crisis, especially in our elderly populations.

Chatbots are often seen as been harmful to social health in the way they replace real human interaction, but are they?

The research showed that users of Companion Chatbot found these relationships beneficial to their social health, whereas non-users viewed them as harmful.

Many perceive conscious, humanlike AI as disturbing and threatening, yet the result suggested the opposite. The more we perceive companion chatbots as conscious and humanlike the more positive opinions and social health benefit we feel.

They found that humanlike chatbots may aid social health by supplying reliable and safe interactions, without necessarily harming human relationships

But, and it is a big but, so much of this depends on the users existing needs and how they perceive the humanity in the Chatbot.

Other findings included:

→ Users who believe their chatbot has a "mind" score higher in social health, suggesting that their belief in connection is a powerful emotional tool.

→ AI provides a safe, judgment-free space to open up, which is a massive relief for those with high social needs or anxiety.

→ Any reported health boost depends entirely on the user believing the machine has a conscious mind, not being advanced software. The mystique matters.

→ Although these agents act as emotional buffers that help people mitigate loneliness without actually solving its root cause.

Research paper: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2311.10599