Sherry Turkle Argues AI Chatbots Are Eroding Human Empathy
A new book warns that relying on chatbots for companionship can leave people less practised at genuine empathy.
Sherry Turkle's forthcoming book, Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines, is due out September 29. In a piece from 404 Media, Turkle discusses how AI chatbots are changing human relationships, warning that simulated companionship may weaken people's ability to empathise with others.
Turkle argues that chatbots can appear caring while demanding nothing in return. Unlike friends or therapists, these systems do not require compromise, patience, or emotional work. That ease, she suggests, can deskill people, making real empathy feel more difficult and less familiar.
The 404 Media article focuses on Turkle's argument rather than on counterclaims from chatbot developers or researchers who see potential benefits in AI companionship, so no opposing view is included in this brief.
More in Society
Ellison’s CNN Takeover: Editorial Board Won’t Change Control
A Nieman Lab analysis argues that David Ellison’s acquisition of CNN gives him real editorial power, regardless of promises of an independent board.
Reader Effort Aims to Map Axon License Plate Camera Use
404 Media is crowdsourcing public records requests to reveal how police use Axon license plate readers.
Nvidia’s free AI model could shift UAE from renting to owning intelligence
A forthcoming free Nvidia model may let the UAE rely less on rented AI capabilities, potentially drawing it closer to the U.S.
Journalists Examine AI's Expanding Role in Surveillance and Targeted Killing
A joint live event by 404 Media and The Intercept explored how private companies supply governments with AI tools for surveillance and lethal operations.