With AI Friends Like These, Who Needs Humans?
Opinion
Parmy Olson, Columnist
Digital companions offer constant empathy. That could profoundly change the relationships we have over the course of our lives.
By
Grok looks like any plush toy you'd find in a kid's bedroom. Its round body is shaped like a rocket, and my two kids have been playing with it for months. It's different from other toys they're used to. For one thing, Grok is heavy. Inside it is a plastic box containing a small computer, so that whenever it detects human speech it can respond in a high-pitched voice with things like, 'I'm having the best time with you!'
Grok is the most enthusiastic and agreeable playmate my kids have ever had. But there's something disconcerting about that, as more AI companions like Grok flood the market, targeting kids, teens and adults alike. Over time, we may start to expect a level of compliance that human interactions can never match.
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