AI Is Set To Become Your New BFF
The bold move of letting algorithms guide you through your love life and other life decisions is upon us
So you are sprawled on the couch, munching on a family-sized bag of chips and thinking about sending that risky text to your crush; and instead of consulting your best friend with whom you are binge-watching Netflix, you turn to your new confidant: an AI life coach?!
Yes, smartphones have long been doubling as personal assistants, fridges can tell us when we’re low on milk, and cars can drive themselves, but letting AI step into the role of Cupid seems a little too much.
Google is testing new tools developed by merging DeepMind and its own artificial intelligence team to transform generative A.I., similar to chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard, into personal life coaches.
The aim is to perform personal and professional tasks like offering users advice and ideas. Google’s urgency to compete in the A.I. space is leading it to explore using A.I. systems for sensitive tasks, potentially expanding the capabilities of generative A.I. Supposedly while still evaluating the safety and relevance of these tools.
There are already clear warnings about emotional attachment to chatbots. AS Google’s AI safety experts caution about the potential dangers of users becoming too emotionally attached to chatbots, hopefully, this will add more context to the company’s approach.
“I’m fine” vs. “Please drag it out of me..”
The drawbacks of relying on AI for life or relationship advice are as awkward as your last SMS to your crush. Plus, let us not forget its limited grasp of context. Hence it could easily mistake “I’m fine” as an expression of genuine happiness instead of the universal language for “Please drag it out of me, I’m dying over here!”
In any case, a heavy reliance on technology for life advice might lead to us becoming overly dependent on technology even in life decision-making which will no doubt reduce our ability to think critically and make informed choices on our own. Briefly, some other drawbacks of relying on AI this way are:
- Lack of human empathy: I don’t have to tell you how crucial this is in understanding the nuances of complex human relationships and emotional situations when giving any form of advice. And with AI, what we will now have is an advisor that may not fully consider the emotional aspects of our situations.
- Limited context understanding: Unlike your human BFF, AI will struggle to understand the complete context of your life, experiences, and emotions. So you will end up with advice that is given solely on the information provided devoid of accounting for your underlying feelings, history, or even personal beliefs which your real BFF will certainly sense and have in mind.
- Misinterpretation of emotions: Of course, you may try to convey your feelings but should AI misinterpret them what you will most likely get is advice that could be inappropriate, insensitive, or irrelevant to your actual emotional state.
- Oversimplification: This can be a real problem when it comes to giving life advice. Although some people find AI appealing for its ability to simplify complex situations, when it comes to life and affairs of the heart, overlooking intricate details that can be crucial in providing accurate advice in favor of simplification could lead to disaster for advice seekers.
- Lack of a personalized touch: Should AI begin to offer advice that is too generic for the purpose of widespread application, it then most definitely lacks the personalized touch you will need for guidance. Remember everyone’s situation is unique, and so is yours.
- Loss of human connection: People relying solely on AI for advice in these primarily “human” areas will, ironically, lead to a diminished sense of human connection. Our relationships require human understanding, empathy, and communication, to be meaningful. Something which, I dare say, AI cannot fully replicate.
Contrary to expectations, such AI systems in this area will not be infallible, therefore, the advice will not always yield the desired outcomes. Advice seekers will most likely experience disappointment, frustration, or even negative consequences if they blindly follow its recommendations.
We must, therefore, carefully weigh the convenience and assistance such systems will offer against the potential drawbacks to highlight the importance of maintaining a healthy balance between using technology and seeking advice from trusted human sources when it comes to matters as personal and intricate as life, and affairs of the heart