LONELINESS FINDS A SOULMATE IN AI

The surge in use of chatbots presents risks, from ethical violations to the potential for deeper social isolation

- STORY: SUWITCHA CHAIYONG

Research by the Faculty of Psychology at Chulalongkorn University found that 18% of Thais feel very lonely and 65% feel moderately lonely.

That means nearly two-thirds of the population report some degree of isolation. Loneliness spans both urban and rural areas, with 40.9% of city dwellers and 37.9% of rural residents reporting it.

Because many people now chat with AI, the study also looked at those relationships. It found that 20% of Thais believe AI understands them better than their families and 17% say AI understands them better than their friends. Unlike people, AI doesn’t respond negatively, which can foster trust and emotional bonds.

To ask whether AI can be a “safe zone”, Mahidol University’s Department of Religion and Ethics for Sustainable Development hosted a forum titled “What Happens When My Safe Zone Is AI?” The event brought together psychologists, media scholars and ethicists to weigh both promise and peril.