{"id":32454,"date":"2023-08-16T10:25:59","date_gmt":"2023-08-16T08:25:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/d4309797-6326-423a-993c-8fbbad25a453"},"modified":"2023-08-16T10:38:25","modified_gmt":"2023-08-16T08:38:25","slug":"an-ai-friend-will-always-be-on-your-side-until-it-threatens-your-free-will","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/an-ai-friend-will-always-be-on-your-side-until-it-threatens-your-free-will\/","title":{"rendered":"An AI friend will always be on your side… until it threatens your free will"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Judith Donath\n <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 16 August 2023 at 08:25 AM<\/p>

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Should an AI be your best friend? Even if you\u2019ve never considered the possibility or think it\u2019s an absurd idea, it\u2019s worth contemplating, because in the near future, there will be artificial intelligence<\/a> systems attempting to befriend you.<\/p>

AI friends offer many benefits. They\u2019re available any time (even at two o\u2019clock in the morning) and they never get bored (unlike your human friends, who may tire of hearing the same complaints about your job or partner).<\/p>

But, as convenient as an AI friend<\/a> might be, it\u2019s a friend with more costs than benefits.<\/p>

One reason to be suspicious of AI companions is that you don\u2019t know their motives \u2013 or, more accurately, the motives of those who control them. They may be programmed to secretly support a political candidate, sell gadgets or sow discord. And, while most of us find it difficult to sustain a false front for an extended period and would feel (and inadvertently reveal) significant guilt and discomfort if we hurt or betrayed another, a machine, having no mind, has no such compunctions.<\/p>

Machines are also becoming more persuasive than most humans. A recent study showed that pro-vaccine arguments produced by ChatGPT<\/a> were more effective than those used by government agencies \u2013 an ability that could be easily redirected to advance more nefarious positions. <\/p>

Machine text is honed through innumerable interactions. You can see the process in the frequent changes to online headlines: back in the days of print-only newspapers, headline writers had one chance to write an attention-grabbing phrase; today, most publications constantly tweak their online text, watching how thousands of readers respond to the different variations and if a new version gets better results, in it goes. <\/p>

Similarly, all aspects of artificial friend-bots can be polished and perfected based on the effectiveness of their interactions with various users.<\/p>

But what about AI friends that are created as genuine companions, not secret salesmen or undercover disruptors? Could they be a solution to our crisis of loneliness<\/a>? Friendship is good for you: research has shown that people with an active and engaging social life live longer<\/a> and are healthier and happier. Might artificial friends be the social equivalent of vitamin pills \u2013 helpful supplements when the ideal balanced diet (or lively circle of great friends) is unavailable?<\/p>

Here the concern centres on the mind \u2013 or lack of mind \u2013 of the other. Think about the everyday experience of seeing something that would amuse a friend and making a mental note to tell them about it. Why do you do that? Maybe they\u2019re feeling down and you want to cheer them up. Or, perhaps you hope to impress them with your eye for the quirky or beautiful. <\/p>

In any case, your concern is with their inner experience, with how they feel or what they think of you. If something has no mind \u2013 no inner experience, just the capacity to imitate the words and behaviours of those who can think and feel \u2013 can that entity really be considered a friend?<\/p>

Society is bound by our caring about what others feel. Empathy<\/a> is part of this: we can feel the joy, or sadness, that someone we care about experiences. It\u2019s also important that we care what others think of us. Emotions such as shame or embarrassment can cause harm when they\u2019re used harshly or coercively, but they\u2019re also essential to keeping our society working \u2013 we \u2018do the right thing\u2019 and cooperate, at least in part, because we care how others perceive us. <\/p>

And having others think highly of us, or simply enjoy our company and care about our friendship, can be tremendously uplifting. The key is that these others must be conscious beings, able to form impressions and experience emotions. An artificial entity can be designed to imitate the external signs of emotions (to smile, sigh or cry) but it doesn\u2019t actually feel anything; it\u2019s not conscious.<\/p>

Does this mean you should avoid interacting with AIs? Not necessarily. Properly designed, they can offer many benefits. They can help people think through difficult situations, practise social skills and provide insightful feedback. But they can do these things without the pretence of consciousness and emotion.<\/p>

Living, conscious friends can be unpredictable and demanding. But, even as we increasingly interact with ever more sophisticated AIs, we need to embrace the complications of truly two-way relationships and to care about, and be responsive to, the experience of others.<\/p>

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