I’ve spent 25 years studying loneliness. AI is about to make it much worse

May 23, 2026 - 22:21

A prominent existential psychologist who has spent a quarter-century researching loneliness is sounding an alarm. As America grapples with a widespread social disconnection crisis, big tech companies are betting heavily on AI companions to fill the void. But the researcher argues this approach is dangerously misguided.

The core problem, according to the psychologist, is that AI companions offer a counterfeit version of connection. They simulate empathy and understanding without the messy, unpredictable, and deeply human elements that actually build resilience against loneliness. Real relationships require vulnerability, conflict, and the risk of rejection. An AI that always agrees, never judges, and is always available creates a comfortable but isolating bubble.

The concern is that widespread use of AI companions will not cure loneliness but will instead make it much worse. People may begin to prefer the frictionless, low-effort interactions with a machine over the challenging work of building and maintaining real friendships. This could lead to a gradual atrophy of social skills and a decreased tolerance for the natural difficulties of human interaction.

The psychologist warns that by outsourcing our need for connection to algorithms, we risk losing the very things that make us human. The solution to a loneliness crisis is not a more sophisticated chatbot, but a renewed commitment to building genuine community, even when it is hard.