I’ve spent 25 years studying loneliness. AI is about to make it much worse
The article discusses the potential negative impact of artificial intelligence on human connection and loneliness. Despite AI's ability to provide companionship, it fails to fulfill the deeper human need for meaningful relationships. The author emphasizes that true social bonds require mutual care and agency, which AI cannot replicate.
- ▪Americans are increasingly feeling isolated, with around half reporting loneliness according to a 2025 survey.
- ▪AI is being marketed as a solution to social needs, with generative AI now the top use case for therapy and companionship.
- ▪True social fulfillment comes from interdependent relationships where individuals feel they matter to one another.
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Artificial intelligence has the potential to improve our lives in powerful ways. But after two and a half decades researching why human connection gives life meaning, I’m worried about where we’re headed.Recommended Video Americans are spending more time alone, marrying less, and making fewer friends than in previous decades. And it isn’t going well: A 2025 American Psychological Association survey found that around half of adults report feeling isolated, left out, or lacking companionship. Academic research suggests that around 37% of Americans suffer from moderate to severe loneliness. For the past 25 years, I have studied what makes human life feel meaningful — and what happens when that sense of meaning erodes.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Fortune.
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