Against Frictionless AI:

"But loneliness isn't just an affliction to be cured–it is a biological signal, akin to hunger, thirst, or pain. Viewed this way, loneliness functions as social feedback. Like physical pain alerting us to injury, loneliness tells us that our social connections require attention. This discomfort motivates action. It gets us to reach out to a friend we haven't seen in months, to accept that invitation we'd normally decline, or to finally send that first message on a dating app. It also compels us to invest in the relationships we already have. When we feel lonely, we work harder to manage our emotions around others, we become more willing to navigate difficult conversations, and we find ourselves genuinely curious about the lives of those around us. AI companions may soothe this discomfort, but in doing so, they also silence a signal that would otherwise drive us to cultivate the deeper, more challenging relationships that sustain us over time. Loneliness isn't the only type of friction in social relationships. Real human connection is difficult in ways that AI companionship is not. Friends and romantic companions disagree with us, challenge our views, and sometimes disappoint us. They require us to compromise, to listen when we'd rather talk, to show up when it's inconvenient. Empathizing with another person's needs, moods, and perspectives takes real effort, making human connection and human relationships challenging at times. AI companions, by contrast, are frictionless. They sycophantically agree with nearly everything we say, even when we say and believe dangerous things . This ease is seductive and risks crowding out friendships in the real world. This would be a real loss because real-life friendships and romantic partners span dimensions AI cannot. For example, real-life romantic partners provide physical and sexual intimacy and enable the creation and care of children. Critically, good friends and partners provide the corrective feedback that sycophantic AI companions lack, helping us see the error of our ways. The friction we experience in real-life relationships, though unpleasant in the moment, contributes to making these relationships robust and sustaining. Just as struggle enhances learning in intellectual work, the friction of navigating real human relationships deepens them and creates genuine shared history."