Being lonely is more than a state of mind. It’s a health risk, especially for older adults. Even so, the physical ills associated with social isolation are a threat for all age groups.
In our increasingly interconnected world, we nonetheless become more isolated. One estimate shows the number of people with no close friends has quadrupled since 1900. Loneliness has been linked to increased risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, addiction, dementia and early death. It can lead to depression and anxiety, which themselves have been shown to fuel health problems.
Scientists, however, believe a prescription for loneliness might one day be widely available: a robot.
Researchers at Auckland, Cornell and Duke universities propose in a recent paper that we need to start thinking about using artificial intelligence to battle loneliness. They say stakeholders must start formulating guidelines to inform future research.
Early research suggests prototype AI robots might be good at reducing stress and keeping lonely people active in their home.
Advances in AI are opening the possibility, they say, that a robot might become capable of building strong social connections.
AI chatbots available on the internet are already capable of talking to a human user via text in conversations that are often lifelike. But chatbots are still a work in progress with lots of bugs. You might have read an article about an AI chatbot that professed love to a reporter and asked him to leave his wife.
Scientists still think the best cure for loneliness is a real, flesh-and-blood friend. But if one is unavailable, a robot may someday be the next best thing.