this post was submitted on 10 Jun 2023
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Sure, I get that. Ideally people would have access to all the support they could need and a strong base of family and friends to lean on. But isn’t the issue here is that they don’t? I don’t think it’s a cure, I don’t think anyone is saying that. But I do think it could potentially provide a level of support that would alleviate some anxiety. If the alternative is for people to just sit in, let’s say, old folks home and let their brains rot I don’t see how that’s any less unethical than providing them mental stimulation in the form of an AI.
As long as it's approached as a brain training assistant (or some other market-y buzzwords) and it's being used with giant disclaimers I'm totally for using it with old, lonely people. It might not be a perfect aid but it can help in certain situations. Knowing how our society works, however, Big Company A is going to perfect the tech, make people dependent on it, and then scam them.
Considering how popular Farmville, as a game, was on Facebook I shudder to think about what a finely tuned AI, made by a for-profit company, will be capable of doing with old, lonely people.
Do you really want your mom chatting with a for-profit AI (like Google Bard) about you or your family to feel less lonely? I'd sooner let my brain rot, but to each their own.