When people prefer to confide in AI, is this a sign of a social empathy crisis?

[HisDivineShadow]

Get a dog.


Woofs, barks, sniffs, licks, and growls count as talking. Very obediant.


Like a dog.


A dog.


Also a dog, but it can crap on the floor if you forget potty time.


Arf, woof, then barfs your idea of good dog food on the floor.


Gaston had hounds


Dogs sometimes pretend to be human. But they can be useful.

LIke when your dog dies.



Dogs are AI and always

Hallelujah!

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Talking to an AI is akin to going to a fortune teller, though probably (for now) a good deal cheaper (and a lot cheaper than a therapist). People prefer them because they are usually more likely to be positive - to give optimistic projections and not pass judgement during the session (afterwards the fortune teller probably goes off, has a drink and chats with their assistants or fellow soothsayers about the latest putz/easy mark/weirdo, but that's another issue).
If you want to "know" you're on the right track, talk to an AI or a psychic.
*If you want to be told you're an idiot and just deal with it, talk to a friend or a male relative.
*If you want to be told "yeah, I experienced that too. No, I won't tell you how I dealt with it, because my method may not work for you, but I understand what you're going through" talk to a female relative.
You want to be told one or more possible ways to work through your situation talk to a real therapist, psychiatrist or psychologist. It may take a while to find a good one, especially if you have crap insurance, though.

*At least those two have been my experiences.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

This is a hella depressing thread. Why do so many of y'all lack good people in your lives?

 

[RepresentingWrath]

This is a hella depressing thread. Why do so many of y'all lack good people in your lives?

Because there is only one representative of all the Tromba. ?

 

[Representing_Tromba]

Because there is only one representative of all the Tromba. ?

We got more, and they are more talkative and experienced than I.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

We got more, and they are more talkative and experienced than I.

That was supposed to be a compliment.

 

[Prince_Azmiran_Myrian]

The problem is the slow process of human evolution in relation to the rapid development of tech.

Can't evolve out of total depravity.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

That was supposed to be a compliment.

Oh. Sorry. It went over my head.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Oh. Sorry. It went over my head.

?

 

[MarikoRawralton]

I think a lot of people go through their lives without a lot of love or positivity in their lives, especially people whose parents lived through bad stuff themselves, so I'm not surprised a lot of people are falling for the machine that says nice things to you.

Honestly, I think we could all be a bit more empathetic to one another, and more willing to reach out to people in need. I thought that people were struggling to connect in person, but even online, people tend to stick to their own bubbles that eventually pop, and they don't reach out anymore. You'd be surprised what "being nice" can do for you.

 

[LeilaniOtter]

No, not at all.
This is no different than when people would trust in the Magic-8 Ball decades ago. *^^*
People are going to want answers and will sway to anyone or anything that can provide them.
This is why, still, the most popular books today are self-help.
Why an author here hasn't created an isekai or litrpg that doubles as a self-help manual for life, I'll never know.

they would own Scribble Hub. *^^*

 

[Navillus]

I read news about a social phenomenon where people prefer to confide in AI instead of each other. The question is, is this a sign that we are experiencing a "social empathy crisis"?

I think it’s because people don’t want to be judged… I personally have always had a hard time speaking to therapist’s because I subconsciously think they will stab me in the back and send me to a mental hospital… my thoughts and feelings could easily warrant that after all… but I’m also aware I’d snap if I ended up at such a place… so I’m extremely wary as I don’t want to disappear… nonetheless AI doesn’t have such issues or at least not as bad as humans do-nyah.

 

[CrimsonGenius]

I think it’s because people don’t want to be judged… I personally have always had a hard time speaking to therapist’s because I subconsciously think they will stab me in the back and send me to a mental hospital… my thoughts and feelings could easily warrant that after all… but I’m also aware I’d snap if I ended up at such a place… so I’m extremely wary as I don’t want to disappear… nonetheless AI doesn’t have such issues or at least not as bad as humans do-nyah.

Bingo.

Ai won’t call you stupid for asking a question and saying something stupid… yet.

 

[SternenklarenRitter]

I don't understand what therapy is supposed to actually do, but man I have never seen a person more disinterested in what I had to say than that therapist. They wrote me a prescription and said to squeeze some ice if I ever feel a little panicky again.

It sounds like you saw a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists are not therapists, they are medical doctors that specialize in brain chemistry. This tends to not be useful when the issue is stress, anxiety, or loneliness. Every decision they make is informed by statistical analysis, which makes them seem unfriendly and intimidating if you are bad at math. If you go to an actual therapist, you may find they are much more helpful.

Empathy by definition is putting ourselves in the "position" of the other. But is not real, is in our head, we "pretend" we are you and feel "your pain" but we choosed to feel it.

Empathy is not a choice. It is something most people only have a little bit of, while others have too much or none at all. Its generally not a metaphor or an exaggeration when someone says they feel your pain. Sensitive people can often feel their empathy in their teeth or their groin. When a child screams out their distress at the grocery store, it hurts me like a kick in the knee.

 

[Deleted member 166465]

It sounds like you saw a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists are not therapists, they are medical doctors that specialize in brain chemistry. This tends to not be useful when the issue is stress, anxiety, or loneliness. Every decision they make is informed by statistical analysis, which makes them seem unfriendly and intimidating if you are bad at math. If you go to an actual therapist, you may find they are much more helpful.

Empathy is not a choice. It is something most people only have a little bit of, while others have too much or none at all. Its generally not a metaphor or an exaggeration when someone says they feel your pain. Sensitive people can often feel their empathy in their teeth or their groin. When a child screams out their distress at the grocery store, it hurts me like a kick in the knee.

We live in a society that is overly stimulated, full of emotions and bla bla bla. How much of your own empathy is just you getting it over the top to "feel" more human?
I dont believe in empathy at all, in my line of work I have learned is all bullshit.
People are just evil, greedy, mean, lying assholes.
There is only 3 people who really know you. Not your mother, your father, your brother and specially not your "partner".
Those 3 People are: Your lawyer, your doctor and the priest (if you happen to be a believer). To everyone else you lie like a mother fucker.

 

[mythosandmagic]

My thought is that A.I. has no emotions. They take in your query, bounce it off the internet, come back with some responses they think will fulfill your need, and wait for the next prompt.
To me, that is the problem. They have no emotions or life skills to interpret your nuanced prompt/question or observation.

 

[l8rose]

You know, I can understand why someone would talk to an AI over a therapist. An AI will usually give polite feedback and is almost always going to be what the person wants to hear. Like someone said, it's more interactive than a tree. A therapist on the other hand... never personally dealt with a therapist myself but my hubby was through the system and most of what he has gone through is pretty horrifying.

One of his early therapists prescribed him an adult dosage when he was in his early teens. At 15, a different therapist decided he was a "risk to everyone around him" because of his ODD and his angsty teen poetry so they had him committed to an adult psych ward where they strap people down at night. Another therapist there wouldn't release him unless he gave a fake confession to something terrible that had nothing to do with his diagnosis. She was apparently writing a study and needed more real people to confirm her theory. She ended up losing her job and credentials because she had forced a whole bunch of teens to do it before my father-in-law reported her.

Mind you, he did have a nice one when he was a pre-teen. That one had puppets and helped him work through some issues from being in the foster system.

But yeah, I can see why someone would talk to AI over a person. It's the same reason I can believe people downloading the chat ai Apps to have a random anime chick as their girlfriend.

 

[AYM]

a different therapist decided he was a "risk to everyone around him" because of his ODD and his angsty teen poetry so they had him committed to an adult psych ward where they strap people down at night.

 

[SternenklarenRitter]

I dont believe in empathy at all, in my line of work I have learned is all bullshit.
People are just evil, greedy, mean, lying assholes.

I wonder if you are mistaking an empathic person for a good person. Some people possessing overactive empathy react to someone in pain with anger: "It hurts to see this person suffer. Its their fault I'm in pain. How dare they cry in front of me!? I'm going to bully and insult this person until they quit this job!" This is an extremely common mindset at workplaces in my country of residence. Being empathic does not stop someone from being a donkeyhole. Empathy is an instinct, not a personality trait.

 

[Deleted member 166465]

I wonder if you are mistaking an empathic person for a good person. Some people possessing overactive empathy react to someone in pain with anger: "It hurts to see this person suffer. Its their fault I'm in pain. How dare they cry in front of me!? I'm going to bully and insult this person until they quit this job!" This is an extremely common mindset at workplaces in my country of residence. Being empathic does not stop someone from being a donkeyhole. Empathy is an instinct, not a personality trait.

No. It is not real, people dont really care. Empathy comes from ego "I am more human couse FEEL others pain", is pure vanity. Fake it till you make it.
Humans dont care what happens to other humans, not even family, they only care about family around them becouse if something happens to them they will feel afected. If they die, there will be a hole in your space. Like not being able to get rid of that old t-shirt.
Spend 10 years away from your family in a rather "normal" life style. You will find out that if mom or sister dies, it will affect you, but not that much, your life must go on, right?
"overactive empathy react to someone in pain with anger:"
No they dont, people suffering are annoying, sorry, But they are.
People sincere with themselves like psychopaths just express it. How many times have you just avoided a "kind of close" friend becouse he was going through a break up and you just didnt want to hear his bullshit? Well that is normal.
We are all assholes.
Now I am gonna put it this way: If we werent assholes, we wouldnt have wars, or cheating, or laws, or need police officers, or a door in our house.
We are egotistical assholes, dont get me wrong, that is good, is what makes us push over the limit "I wanna be better" "I wanna be richer", I want, I want, I want.
Embrace the asshole, after all, you only got one. (see what I did there)