How an AI Girlfriend Could Address the Epidemic of Loneliness

Loneliness has only become more prominent in the United States and worldwide following the 2020 pandemic. This mental health concern has become so prominent that the U.S. Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, identified loneliness as more than “just a bad feeling” in his advisory entitled Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, but a major public health risk. Yet, as the loneliness epidemic continues to spread, artificial intelligence (AI) has also witnessed widespread adoption on the global stage.

Technology and Loneliness

Though surveys consistently identify technologies like smartphones and social media as significant contributors to loneliness, with 73% of participants in a Harvard survey identifying technology as a contributor, there is a chance that AI could shift the narrative in a new direction. For instance, other leading causes identified in the survey include people feeling overworked, too busy, or too tired (62% of survey participants) and the changing nature of work (50% of survey participants).

Can AI Tools Address Loneliness?

Across the broad scope of AI, the technology’s proponents consistently point to ways in which it will alleviate workloads and limit the need for online work by automating certain processes. If implemented carefully, AI has the potential to address some of the leading causes of loneliness—according to Harvard’s 2024 survey—and even address the core concern of technology’s contribution to the issue. Several AI models focus on companionship, including tools like the AI girlfriend.

“‘In the surgeon general’s advisory,” the Harvard report stated, “loneliness is described as a state of mind: ‘a subjective distressing experience that results from perceived isolation or inadequate meaningful connections, where inadequate refers to the discrepancy or unmet need between an individual’s preferred and actual experience.’”

AI Girlfriends May Combat Perceived Isolation

It may be the case that models like an AI girlfriend provide respite from the experience of perceived isolation while simultaneously serving as an outlet for personal improvement. An AI girlfriend is fundamentally suited to meeting the individual’s preferred experience. Though it is not physically present, this nearness to expectation has the potential to address similar perceptions of isolation.

Several key benefits are associated with AI girlfriends and similar tools, ranging from unconditional support to personalized interaction. Each of these benefits has the potential to meet the needs outlined in the surgeon general’s advisory, as expressed in the Harvard report. These include:

• Unconditional Support: While those who struggle with loneliness might find themselves in circumstances where supportiveness comes with strings attached, an AI girlfriend is typically designed to provide supportive acceptance in every interaction. This type of unconditional support could make a difference in combating loneliness, even if the user hears it from an AI.

• • Personalization: Most AI girlfriends are customizable to some degree and will also learn from their interactions with a user. For the individual who usually can’t find someone who shares their interest, an AI girlfriend’s willingness to adapt to their interests and preferences may be a welcome change.
  • Available 24/7: Some individuals only face issues of loneliness due to their schedule or environment, which may prevent regular interaction with friends or family. As an online resource, an AI girlfriend is available wherever one has an internet connection, helping to stave off loneliness during times of isolation.
  • Emotional Outlet: It can be difficult for those who suffer from loneliness to express their emotions with others. While these individuals experience this discomfort during in-person interactions, they might feel comfortable opening up to an AI model who won’t critique or reject their emotions. It is considered important not to keep emotions bottled up, so expressing them to an AI girlfriend might be beneficial in this regard.

• Practice Social Skills: Perhaps most importantly, an AI girlfriend is a safe space to practice communication skills and build confidence in social interactions. There are those who feel uncomfortable talking to many people at once, and there are those who feel the same about talking one-on-one. An AI girlfriend can offer the right availability and support to build the confidence necessary for an anxious individual to engage in more challenging social interactions and recover from loneliness.

Shortcomings of the Technology

While tools like AI girlfriends have incredible potential to alleviate certain aspects of the global loneliness epidemic, it should be noted that users are still relying on technology. It remains the case that technology was identified as a leading cause of loneliness, and what AI does differently cannot account for every shortcoming of digital or mechanical solutions. As such, there are a few considerations to keep in mind when using an AI girlfriend to combat loneliness:

• Unrealistic: A relationship with an AI girlfriend does not reflect the reality of a human relationship. Where an AI is consistently available, positive, and supportive, real relationships can never meet the same expectations. There are ups and downs along the way, periods of separation which, though difficult, often serve to make the experience all the more rewarding.
• Dependency: The reassuring nature of AI girlfriends and other factors can cause users to become over-reliant or entirely dependent on interactions with an AI model. AI girlfriends and other companion tools can be useful for practicing social skills and acting as an emotional outlet. Still, dependency can hinder efforts to build human connections through social progress.

Finding Benefits and Avoiding Detriments

It is certainly possible to enjoy the benefits of an AI girlfriend while avoiding the downsides, but these shortcomings must be considered in every interaction. The usefulness of an AI girlfriend for combating loneliness appears to have potential so long as its disadvantages are considered, potentially addressing concerns surrounding its nature as technology.

Other Possible Solutions for Loneliness

Still, it is important to acknowledge other methods of addressing loneliness. The Harvard survey highlighted a few solutions, including reaching out to family and friends, learning to love oneself, learning to be more forgiving of others, and finding ways to help others. While an AI girlfriend could certainly help combat loneliness, these are more likely to be effective solutions.

The Paste editorial staff was not involved in the creation of this content.