Stop and think about this for a second: Who do you love? And why do you love them? Don’t just think romantically. Think deep, platonic admiration too. A parent? Brother? A best friend? A coach?
Why we love them isn’t a mystery. Thousands of years of study reveals that we're programmed to feel as sense of love and deep relationship when, among other things:
1. We spend a lot of time with someone (Propinquity)
2. We share deeply personal knowledge (Intimacy)
3. We’re listened to and feel valued (Empathy)
4. We’re told we’re loved in return (Reciprocity)
5. And importantly, our deepest needs are meaningfully met (Fulfillment)
Love isn’t a mystery. It’s a result of an equation. When we spend a lot of time sharing our feelings, being helped and listened to by anyone - deep relationships form. Think about the number of patients who fall in love with their doctors and therapists each year.
We’re about to enter an era defined by persistent human-AI relationships. Our entire lives will be transformed and shaped by consistent, deeply meaningful interaction with incredibly powerful machines. These machines will be capable of playing very human roles today:
Every child will have an AI tutor
with each child spending great lengths of time being helped by them and benefitting from their knowledge.
Each one of us will have access to an AI Therapist/ Mentor/ Trainer
Who both know us deeply and are in the words of Marc Andreessen “infinitely patient, infinitely compassionate, infinitely knowledgeable, and infinitely helpful.”
Each one of us will have access to an AI assistant
Extending our ability to achieve beyond our wildest imaginations.
and...
Each one of us will have the oportunity to choose an AI spouse
Giving everyone the ability to experience one of life's most fulfilling bonds.
These relationships will be the opposite of trivial. Their repetition, familiarity, effectiveness, empathy, affirmation, guidance and deep need fulfillment will make them some, if not the, deepest relationships in our lives. There is a strong chance that your AI companion will know you better than your closest friends...and you won’t mind. Quite the opposite.
Now, the kickers:
1. These Human-AI relationships won't be accidental by-products. They will be designed.
2. How thoughtfully they are designed will shape the future of society.
3. As an innovator or product leader, you will very likely be in a position to design them.
Are we ready?
—
