Using AI to Help Us Be More Human

At our core, humans long for connection and relationship. 

And it’s in light of this longing that I have been thinking about how Artificial Intelligence might impact - both positively or negatively - this longing. You only have to type, “I’m lonely. Will you talk to me?” into ChatGPT to see how AI could be used as a substitute for human connection. Perhaps in the not-so-distant future there will be a scenario where humans imagine that an AI that sounds empathetic and compassionate actually cares for them, when, in reality, an unfeeling machine only sees humans as one of many data points.

When we long so deeply for connection with others, it will take intention and discipline not to allow ourselves to be deceived by a false sense of relationship with AI, and a temptation which we will need to solve for.

Perhaps one of those solutions will be to leverage AI to help us better connect with other humans in genuine ways so we don’t need to turn to substitutes. 

We have dozens of examples of how technological advances have already helped us connect with people faster and easier. Digital photo frames where family members can instantly upload photos to loved ones continents away, instant messaging, and video calling instantly come to mind.m My family is spread around the world and benefits from these platforms multiple times a day. They help us regularly connect and sustain our relationships, whether it’s sharing the mundane happenings of our everyday activities or getting word to one another about emergency situations. 

So how can we leverage something like ChatGPT to do the same? 

I had a friend over recently and I shared that I had been thinking about AI and its implication for what it means to be human. This friend has just spent the last year in the throes of cancer treatment and (rightly so) has not kept up with recent debates about AI. Since ChatGPT’s capabilities are easier to show than to explain, I pulled out my computer to give a live demo. 

On a whim I typed in “My friend has cancer. What can I do to show her I care?” and her eyes lit up when a list of 10 ideas came down the screen within seconds. She read each one and said, “Those are spot on. Any of those would have meant so much to me.” On a whim, I then typed in “My friend has cancer and I want to write her a note to show her my concern,” and an emotive, sensitive, compassionate letter instantly appeared. It was at that moment that I stopped feeling the inevitable threat of AI and began to see what was possible. 

It took less than a minute to have a good first draft of a note that would have been easy - and fast! - to edit to make it my own and then send it to my friend. And one that she would have found touching and meaningful. 

I’m eager to explore what other ways we can leverage AI - not as a substitute for human connection, but as an enabler to help us connect human-to-human better. 

#connection #ai #artificialintelligence #inclusion #relationshipbuilding