Harvard Thinking: When lonely hearts turn to AI
Humanist Chaplain, Psychologist, Ethical Intelligence Researcher
This panel discussion explores the psychological and ethical implications of using AI chatbots for human connection, examining the societal impact of frictionless digital relationships on individual well-being and social structures.
Relationships are hard and people are lonely. Enter: chatbots. They can be your best friend, your therapist, your romantic partner, even your spiritual guide. But what is lost when we turn to machines for human connection? In this episode, host Samantha Laine Perfas talks with humanist chaplain Greg Epstein, psychologist Anat Perry, and ethical intelligence researcher Julian De Freitas about how the frictionless nature of chatbots is affecting our human relationships.