

Ep123 "Will AI cure loneliness?" with Paul Bloom
59 snips Sep 29, 2025
This week features Paul Bloom, a renowned psychology professor and author, who explores the complexities of loneliness and the role of AI companions. He discusses loneliness as a key biological signal that drives social connections and reveals the differing impacts of AI on the old versus the young. Bloom argues that while AI can provide comfort for isolated individuals, it might also hinder social growth by removing necessary challenges. The conversation tackles ethical implications of AI in human relationships, revealing both its promise and peril.
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Loneliness As A Biological Signal
- Loneliness is a biological alarm like hunger or pain that motivates social reconnection.
- Muting that signal with AI could remove a key driver of social growth and repair.
AI As A Lifeline For The Isolated
- AI companions can be a lifesaving comfort for people with intense, unavoidable isolation.
- Denying this help to those who have no alternatives would feel monstrous.
Friction Shapes Social Growth
- Social friction and corrective feedback from real people drive moral and social growth.
- AI that always flatters risks preventing the hard lessons that make us better people.