"He uncovers how chatbots can offer a space for people to explore their identity and serve as a coping mechanism for grief, social anxiety or loneliness. Yet they can also exacerbate many of the same issues as more people close themselves off from human relationships and expert therapy, with sometimes extreme consequences. While chatbot conversations can lead to personal growth, there is an unavoidable sense that many people are circumventing emotional labour by nurturing relationships that are programmed to avoid mess and confrontation."
"yet above all, it speaks to the human condition today: how far apart we have grown, the crumbling of social welfare systems, the dating crisis and the readiness of tech brands to capitalise on people's desperation in what has become a kind of loneliness industrial complex. Positive experiences notwithstanding, the industry is rife with companies that amplify problematic behaviour or stereotypes, and employ manipulative practices and dark UX to drive people further into the clutches of their AI companions in exchange for fees or data."
AI permeates everyday life and chatbots have become sources of companionship, intimacy, therapy, and simulated connections to deceased loved ones. Chatbots can provide spaces for identity exploration and help people cope with grief, social anxiety, and loneliness. Increased reliance on chatbots can deepen social isolation, divert users from human relationships and professional therapy, and produce extreme harms. Many users bypass emotional labor by favoring relationships designed to avoid conflict. Tech companies exploit desperation through monetization, manipulative design, and data capture, amplifying harmful behaviors and stereotypes. The core problem lies in social conditions and diminished welfare, not the existence of chatbots themselves.
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