Derek Thompson

And we have private lives of our own. And sometimes we're selfish, and we're not very good at validating the feelings of others. And on the other hand, you have an AI that you can instruct to talk as long as you want to answer the question in exactly the way that you want, who's going to validate whatever you say, who has no life to lead of his or her own. You're saying anthropomorphizing the AI.

And we have private lives of our own. And sometimes we're selfish, and we're not very good at validating the feelings of others. And on the other hand, you have an AI that you can instruct to talk as long as you want to answer the question in exactly the way that you want, who's going to validate whatever you say, who has no life to lead of his or her own. You're saying anthropomorphizing the AI.

And we have private lives of our own. And sometimes we're selfish, and we're not very good at validating the feelings of others. And on the other hand, you have an AI that you can instruct to talk as long as you want to answer the question in exactly the way that you want, who's going to validate whatever you say, who has no life to lead of his or her own. You're saying anthropomorphizing the AI.

And they might simply decide that silicon-based friendships are superior to carbon-based friendships. I think it's a real possibility that's looking a square in the face.

And they might simply decide that silicon-based friendships are superior to carbon-based friendships. I think it's a real possibility that's looking a square in the face.

And they might simply decide that silicon-based friendships are superior to carbon-based friendships. I think it's a real possibility that's looking a square in the face.

One of the most interesting conversations I had in the reporting process for this piece was a conversation with Mark Dunkelman, who's a researcher and author at Brown University. And Mark told me that ironically and surprisingly, this age of the digitization of everything has actually made some relationships much closer.

One of the most interesting conversations I had in the reporting process for this piece was a conversation with Mark Dunkelman, who's a researcher and author at Brown University. And Mark told me that ironically and surprisingly, this age of the digitization of everything has actually made some relationships much closer.

One of the most interesting conversations I had in the reporting process for this piece was a conversation with Mark Dunkelman, who's a researcher and author at Brown University. And Mark told me that ironically and surprisingly, this age of the digitization of everything has actually made some relationships much closer.

You know, it's possible to text your partner throughout the day hundreds of times and stay connected to them and, you know, any best friends that you have, stay connected to them in ways that are totally impossible. And so you can think of this as being the inner ring of intimacy has grown stronger or it's potentially grown stronger for some people in this age of the smartphone.

You know, it's possible to text your partner throughout the day hundreds of times and stay connected to them and, you know, any best friends that you have, stay connected to them in ways that are totally impossible. And so you can think of this as being the inner ring of intimacy has grown stronger or it's potentially grown stronger for some people in this age of the smartphone.

You know, it's possible to text your partner throughout the day hundreds of times and stay connected to them and, you know, any best friends that you have, stay connected to them in ways that are totally impossible. And so you can think of this as being the inner ring of intimacy has grown stronger or it's potentially grown stronger for some people in this age of the smartphone.

At the same time, the fact that we have access to social media and group texts plugs us into networks of shared affinities that we could also never really experience 20 or 30 years ago. So, for example, Mark's case was he's a big Cincinnati Bengals fan living in Providence, Rhode Island.

At the same time, the fact that we have access to social media and group texts plugs us into networks of shared affinities that we could also never really experience 20 or 30 years ago. So, for example, Mark's case was he's a big Cincinnati Bengals fan living in Providence, Rhode Island.

At the same time, the fact that we have access to social media and group texts plugs us into networks of shared affinities that we could also never really experience 20 or 30 years ago. So, for example, Mark's case was he's a big Cincinnati Bengals fan living in Providence, Rhode Island.

And he said, you know, look, there's like 17 other Cincinnati Bengals fans in the entire state of Rhode Island. There's no one around me who shares my interest in the NFL. But because of the internet, I can talk to this global tribe of Bengals fans and we can stay connected with each other.

And he said, you know, look, there's like 17 other Cincinnati Bengals fans in the entire state of Rhode Island. There's no one around me who shares my interest in the NFL. But because of the internet, I can talk to this global tribe of Bengals fans and we can stay connected with each other.

And he said, you know, look, there's like 17 other Cincinnati Bengals fans in the entire state of Rhode Island. There's no one around me who shares my interest in the NFL. But because of the internet, I can talk to this global tribe of Bengals fans and we can stay connected with each other.

And he made this really profound point that while the inner ring of intimacy is strengthening and the outer ring of tribe is also strengthening, there's a middle ring of what he calls the village that is atrophying. In the village are our neighbors, the people who live around us.

And he made this really profound point that while the inner ring of intimacy is strengthening and the outer ring of tribe is also strengthening, there's a middle ring of what he calls the village that is atrophying. In the village are our neighbors, the people who live around us.