India, Feb. 23 -- Loneliness and social isolation are now recognised as major public health threats, prompting governments to explore technological solutions. Research from Monash University argues new AI 'digital companions' marketed as a solution for loneliness are profoundly unethical, and could even increase social isolation.
The research,Against Imaginary Friends: why digital companions are no solution to social isolation, argues that AI chatbots and avatars being promoted as substitutes for social contact, particularly among older people, only offer an illusion of social connection and risk deepening social isolation.
Lead researcher Professor Robert Sparrow from the Monash Arts Faculty's Department of Philosophy, said the push to d...