Google’s former CEO is warning about the dangers of using artificial intelligence to create a romantic partner. Eric Schmidt said chatbots can increase loneliness, specifically among teenage boys who prefer AI-powered “perfect girlfriends.”
He added the potential for them to fall in love and become obsessed with their AI partners is a growing problem.
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“This is a good example of an unexpected problem of existing technology,” Schmidt said on “The Prof G Show” podcast Sunday, Nov. 24.
“Parents are going to have to be more involved for all the obvious reasons, but at the end of the day, parents can only control what their sons and daughters are doing within reason,” Schmidt added.
According to research by TRG Datacenters, people search the term “AI girlfriend,” on average, about 1.6 million times each year on Google as of 2024.
The same company reported that users searched the term only 1,200 times in 2021.
In comparison, users search the term “AI boyfriend” about 180,000 times a year.
Schmidt said young men are particularly vulnerable. According to a Pew Research study, on average, they aren’t as educated as young women. The study found U.S. women outpaced men in graduating college.
“Because of the social media algorithms they find like-minded people who ultimately radicalize them, either in a horrific way, like terrorism, or in the kind of way you’re describing — they’re just maladjusted,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt added that regulatory laws like Section 230 should be reformed. It protects tech giants from being held liable for the content on their platforms. The reforms would allow for liability in the worst possible cases.
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Federal Trade Commission chair, Brendan Carr, has argued for restrictions for Section 230. He plans on adding protections prohibiting companies from censoring posts.
