RESEARCH · RESEARCH · #1182
Sherry Turkle publishes 'Artificial Intimacy' arguing chatbots harm human development
MIT professor Sherry Turkle has published a new book, Artificial Intimacy, arguing that widespread use of chatbots (including tools like ChatGPT) creates a false sense of empathy and can undermine social development, especially in children. Based on interviews and prior research, Turkle warns that reliance on chatbots may reduce people's capacity for human intimacy, solitude, and mutuality.
KEY POINTS
- MIT professor Sherry Turkle has published a new book, Artificial Intimacy, arguing that widespread use of chatbots (including tools like ChatGPT) creates a false sense of empathy and can undermine social development, especially in children.
- Based on interviews and prior research, Turkle warns that reliance on chatbots may reduce people's capacity for human intimacy, solitude, and mutuality.
- The book frames chatbot use as a widespread social and developmental risk, influencing debates about AI's non-technical harms and its role in parenting, education, and mental health.
WHY IT MATTERS
The book frames chatbot use as a widespread social and developmental risk, influencing debates about AI's non-technical harms and its role in parenting, education, and mental health.