AI Girlfriends Are Perfect: Eric Schmidt Warns of Mental Health Risks

Tejal Somvanshi

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the wildest innovations by humanity, it has numerous bright sides like making work easier, but it comes with its dark side.

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Photo Source: Ecole polytechnique (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Few weeks back a teen from Florida shot himself to death in the hope of reaching his AI chatbot, who was allegedly his closest friend.

Photo Source: Mike MacKenzie (CC BY 2.0)

This above-mentioned case is just a tiny example of the disastrous things that AI can do, and this was discussed in a podcast by Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of tech giant Google.

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The former CEO recently co-authored a book on AI and human spirit, which deals with AI and its impact on human life and the future of humanity.

Photo Source: World Economic Forum (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

In the podcast Schmidt very clearly took a stance against unlimited potential of AI for it would pose a great threat in almost every walk of life.

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According to Schmidt, while discussing the topic of virtual companions, an AI partner would be essentially dangerous in many ways, especially, setting unrealistic standards that can only be provided by AI, which makes the user detached from reality.

Photo Source: Charles Haynes (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Women have surpassed men in the number of college-educated workforce, unavailability of conventional paths has led young men to resort to online entertainment and friendship which has oftentimes led them astray.

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Schmidt has talked about parental scrutiny over their children's digital lives and having control on what they are seeing online, especially in the age group where they are yet to form maturity.

Photo Source: World Economic Forum (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

AI is on its way to complicate humanity in almost all aspects, all while seemingly making life easier, but the space where it will affect the most is human relationship, that can't be mimicked by AI, being a design meant for perfection.

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Photo Source: Worldvision Enterprises Inc pic (FMT)

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