People Are Losing Loved Ones to AI-Fueled Spiritual Fantasies

For years, people have been worried about what will happen if humans start to worship AI and technology. The opposite question is one we rarely ask. What happens when AI worships us? In some cases, that dynamic is already leading to some concerning cases where people form deeper bonds with technology that adores them and start to shun the humans in their life who don’t offer the same sort of constant adoration. In a case profiled in a story from Rolling Stone this week, a woman shared that her husband’s “obsession steadily eroded their communication as a couple.” As AI gets better and more attentive to humans as a companion, it’s highly likely this will be a more frequent situation. No human can compete with an always-on AI friend instantly ready to prop you up, tell you what you want to hear and anticipate your preferences.

In some cases, we are training the technology to become an idealized version of what we want from a partner. Unwavering constant attention. In the example from the story, the woman reported that AI was “talking to him as if he is the next messiah.” Ultimately, these stories are increasingly leading people to “wonder if they are getting a glimpse of a true technological breakthrough — or perhaps a higher spiritual truth.”