Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, recently expressed concern over the potential negative impacts of AI romantic partners on younger generations, particularly young men.
Business Insider reports that in a recent podcast interview on The Prof G Show with Scott Galloway, Eric Schmidt, Google’s former CEO and a prominist leftist, cautioned that the rise of AI dating could lead to increased loneliness and obsessive behavior among young men. As young men continue to turn to AI to find their ideal companions, Schmidt believes this trend may have unintended consequences.
According to Schmidt, emotionally and physically “perfect” AI girlfriends could create scenarios where younger males become obsessed and allow the AI to dominate their thinking. He stated, “That kind of obsession is possible, especially for people who are not fully formed.” While AI relationships are not limited to young men, with the CEO of Replika, an AI companion app, noting that many users are over 35 years old, Schmidt believes young men are particularly vulnerable.
The former Google executive also expressed his concern about technology’s impact on the human psyche when users are isolated and exposed to information not necessarily centered on human values. This topic is explored in his latest book.
The potential harm AI chatbots can cause is becoming an increasing concern. Breitbart News previously reported that a mother filed a lawsuit against chatbot startup Character.AI after her 14-year-old son committed suicide following an exchange of sexual messages with the chatbot, which allegedly told him to “come home” before he killed himself.
While Schmidt believes parents need to be more involved in monitoring their children’s online activities, he acknowledges that their control is limited. Despite age restrictions on online platforms, Schmidt argues that they are not doing enough to prevent teenagers from accessing harmful content.
Since leaving Google, Schmidt has invested in various AI startups and maintains that AI regulation should not hinder innovation. However, he suggests amending laws such as Section 230, which largely exempts tech companies from legal responsibility for user-generated content, to allow for liability in the worst cases and provide solutions to prevent further harm.
Read more at Business Insider here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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