Harvard Business School recently published a report looking into using companion AI to reduce loneliness [PDF]. The study authors state, “In a series of tightly controlled and high-powered experimental studies, we find compelling evidence that AI companions can indeed reduce loneliness, at least at the time scales of a day and a week.” As a caveat, they add, “Our apps were set up to be caring and friendly, inducing the sense of feeling heard. Apps optimized for other purposes might not produce similar loneliness alleviation benefits.” Feeling understood and heard is a key aspect of our social needs.

This is an interesting finding. However, anyone who saw the Spike Jonze film Her (2013) is probably not at all surprised by the finding. Jonze’s vision of future AI shows other ways that artificial intelligence might help fill our happiness needs. In the film the AI character Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, stimulates the main character Theodore’s growth needs during their discussions of what she’s learning (Theodore is played by Joaquin Phoenix). She boosts his esteem needs when she reads his writing and provides positive feedback. While Theodore is going through a divorce, Samantha gives him a safe space for him to explore his feelings about it (safety).

With all of the AI research being done in the field of healthcare [PDF], it’s not so far-fetched to imagine AI helping with our physiological needs, as well. It’s possible that we’ll be able to apply its analytic power to discovering where we’re falling short or long on key nutrients or its predictive power to learn if we’re at risk of certain diseases, for example.

For autonomy, we’ll largely be dependent on how much control we have over the AI (because of its black box nature, it might feel like we don’t have much!), but one important facet of autonomy is hope. At the point hopelessness sets in we feel like we are out of options, that we are helpless to improve our circumstances. With the processing power of AI, we might be presented with unconsidered possible solutions to problems that we face.

Yes, AI comes with its share of problems, but the potentially positive outcomes make its development irresistible. What other ways do you predict AI will help us fill our six needs?