Mark Zuckerberg Recently proposed These AI chatbots could combat social isolation by serving as “friends” for individuals who experience loneliness.
He quoted statistics that the common American has fewer than three friends, but longs for 15 years. He was close: based on a report from 2021 of the Survey Center on American Life. About half of the Americans have lower than 4 close friends.
Zuckerberg then found that AI could help close this gap by providing constant, personalized interactions.
“I’d suspect that over time we are going to find the vocabulary as a society to articulate why that is beneficial,” he added.
Loneliness and social separation are serious problems. But can AI really be an answer? Could it’s to depend on emotional support on AI, a false feeling of the connection and possibly anger the sensation of isolation? And while AI can simulate certain features of camaraderie, do you lack the depth, empathy and a mutual understanding that’s inherent in human friendship?
Have researchers began to explore these questions. But As an ethical philosopherPresent I Think, it's value turning to a different source: The old Greek philosopher Aristotle.
Although it could appear strange to seek the advice of someone who lived on questions of contemporary technology over 2,000 years ago, Aristotle offers everlasting insights into friendships – and which might be particularly beneficial.
More necessary than spouses, children or money
In his philosophical text Nicoman manann ethicsAristotle claimed that true friendship is important for “Eudaimonia”, a Greek word that is often translated as “blooming” or “well -being”.
For Aristotle, friends will not be only nice to have – they’re a central a part of ethical life and essential for human happiness and success.
“Nobody would live without friends,” he writes, “although he had everyone else.”
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Lonely existence, even one among contemplation and mental performance, is less complete than life with friends. Fortunately, friendship contributes by providing emotional support and solidarity. Through friendship, individuals can maintain their virtues, feel a sense of security and share their services.
Empirical evidence seems to support the connection between friendship and Eudaimonia. A 2023 Pew Center Research Report found that 61% of adults within the USA say that they’ve close friends to live a satisfying life – the next proportion than those that cited marriage, children or money. A British study Of the 6,500 adults, those that had regular interactions with a large circle of friends were more prone to be higher mental health and happier.
And a Meta -analysis From almost 150 studies showed that a shortage of close friends can increase the danger of death a lot smoking, drinking or obstacle.
Different friends for various needs
The advantage of friendship that Aristotle focuses most is on is the role she plays in the event of virtue.
Aristotle identifies three friendship levels in Nicomachean ethics.
The first stage is what it calls “friendships of advantages” or a friendship based on mutual profit. Each party primarily deals with what it will possibly win from the opposite. This might be colleagues at work or neighbors who handle the pets of the opposite when one among them is on vacation. The problem with these friendships is that they’re often fleeting and dissolve as soon as an individual now not advantages from the connection.
The second is “friendships of delight” which might be friendships based on common interests. These friendships may also be temporary, depending on how long the common interests take. Passionate amorous affairs, individuals who belong to the identical book club, and fishing buddies all fall into this category. This type of friendship is vital because you possibly can enjoy your passions more in the event you can share them with one other person. However, this continues to be not the best type of friendship.
According to Aristotle, the third and strongest type of friendship is a “virtuous friendship”. This is predicated on mutual respect for the virtues and the character of the opposite.
Two individuals with this way of friendship appreciate one another who they are surely and share a deep commitment to well -being and moral development. These friendships are stable and everlasting. In a virtuous friendship, every individual helps the opposite to grow to be higher versions of themselves through encouragement, moral leadership and support.
As Aristotle writes: “Perfect friendship is the friendship of men who’re good and the identical. … Now are those that want their friends the truest things for his or her will. Because they do that due to their very own nature and never by the best way; subsequently their friendship takes so long as they’re good – and kindness is a everlasting thing.”
In other words, friendships which might be rooted in virtue not only bring happiness and success, but additionally make personal growth and moral development easier. And in fact it happens within the context of the connection.
According to Aristotle, a virtuous friend offers a mirror by which you possibly can take into consideration his own actions, thoughts and decisions. If a friendship, generosity or compassion demonstrates, the opposite can learn from these actions and be inspired to cultivate these virtues in themselves.
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No food for the soul
What does that mean for AI friends?
According to Aristotle, AI chatbots – how high and demanding – can’t be real friends.
You may give you the option to offer information that may enable you at work or lead yourself carefree over your different interests. But they’re principally missing qualities that outline a virtuous friendship.
AI is unable to be mutual concern or real mutuality. While it will possibly be programmed Simulate empathy Or encouragement, it doesn't really handle the person – and likewise doesn’t ask anything about his human users.
In addition, AI cannot become involved in striving for good life. Aristotle 'concept of friendship comprises a journey together on the option to Eudaimonia, by which everyone helps one other to live with careful and healthy. This requires the variety of moral development that only individuals who face real ethical challenges and make real decisions can undergo.
I believe it’s best to view AI as a tool. Just like a very good shovel or a rake, your quality of life can improve, the rake and the shovel now not mean that you simply now not need friends – nor do you replace the buddies whose shovels and calculating you might be loaned earlier.
While AI may offer a companion in a limited and functional sense, it cannot fulfill the Aristotelian criteria for virtuous friendship. A brief social emptiness can fill, but it surely cannot nourish the soul.
If in any respect, the rise of AI companions should function a memory of the urgent need to advertise real friendships in an increasingly separate world.
