Fake Claims

Yet another example of how our tech overloads would have us plebians believe that they have a product (which they intend to maximally monetize) that can magically solve your most pressing problems. In this instance cure loneliness using AI.

This kind techno-solutionism, reducing human connection to a product has been the root cause of much that ails modern society. As the article correctly notes, Aristotle’s insights and modern research agree: loneliness requires communal, empathetic solutions, not algorithmic ones. Instead of outsourcing friendship to AI, we need policies and cultural shifts that prioritize face-to-face interaction, communal spaces, and mental health support.

This is a fantastic level of hypocrisy that goes along with such statements. Mark Zuckerberg’s advocacy for AI “friends” to address loneliness stands in stark contrast to his personal approach of strictly limiting his own children’s access to social media and the internet. His knows that his argument that people want more friends and that AI can provide meaningful companionship, is highly dubious and as such he is cautious about exposing his children to the very platforms and technologies his company develops to ostensibly solve the world's mental health problems. He has no desire to test his theories at home, something we should all learn from, do as he does.