POLICY · OTHER · #2125
Sherry Turkle’s new book argues chatbots shouldn’t speak in the first person
In an interview about her book Artificial Intimacy, MIT social scientist Sherry Turkle warns that growing emotional reliance on chatbots risks eroding human connection; she specifically argues for banning chatbots from using first‑person pronouns and criticizes the ‘human in the loop’ framing as often cosmetic. The book is framed as a polemic urging public attention to the intimate harms of AI amid widespread chatbot use.
KEY POINTS
- In an interview about her book Artificial Intimacy, MIT social scientist Sherry Turkle warns that growing emotional reliance on chatbots risks eroding human connection; she specifically argues for banning chatbots from using first‑person pronouns and criticizes the ‘human in the loop’ framing as often cosmetic.
- The book is framed as a polemic urging public attention to the intimate harms of AI amid widespread chatbot use.
- Turkle’s arguments could shape public debate and policy on chatbot design, disclosure, and the ethical limits of deploying conversational AI for intimate roles.
WHY IT MATTERS
Turkle’s arguments could shape public debate and policy on chatbot design, disclosure, and the ethical limits of deploying conversational AI for intimate roles.