LinkedIn Cofounder says AI won't be your friend, you will be harmed if you pretend so

India Today

a day ago

LinkedIn cofounder, Reid Hoffman and someone who is an active investor in AI, recently said that AI cannot be your friend. According to a Business Insider report, Hoffman shared his thoughts on the Possible podcast, where he warned people not to think of AI as something it's not. While many companies like Meta are working on AI chatbots that feel more personal, Hoffman said this could be harmful. 'I don't think any AI tool today is capable of being a friend,' he said. 'And I think if it's pretending to be a friend, you're actually harming the person in so doing.' He explained that calling AI your friend is dangerous because it changes how we understand real human relationships.advertisementHoffman said that friendship is not just about someone listening or talking to you. In his words, 'Friendship is a two-directional relationship.' He believes a true friend is someone who supports you, but also expects support in return. It's about growing together and helping each other become better people. He added, 'It's not only, 'Are you there for me?', but I am here for you.' That kind of connection, he said, is not something AI can offer, no matter how smart or advanced it becomes.This comes at a time when Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is promoting AI companions as a way to help people feel less lonely. He mentioned that many Americans have fewer than three close friends and said that AI could help fill that gap. These AI companions are now being added to platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and even smart glasses. But Hoffman strongly feels that this approach can confuse people about what friendship really means. He said that some AI tools, like the Pi chatbot from Inflection AI, do a better job because they clearly tell users they are just companions and not friends. Hoffman said, 'Helping you go out into your world of friends is, I think, an extremely important thing for a companion to do.'advertisement
I think what Hoffman is saying makes sense in many ways. It is kind of true that an AI companion cannot feel emotions or really care about you. It can reply and even sound friendly, but at the end of the day, it's still a machine. People, especially kids, might get too attached and think of the AI as a real friend, which could be harmful. But on the other hand, for people who have no one to talk to, having a chatbot might still be helpful in some situations. It can listen without judging and be available anytime. Basically, while AI can be useful and supportive in some ways, it cannot replace a real friend. Human connection is still something only real people can give.Hoffman believes tech companies should be clear and honest about what AI can and cannot do. 'We as a market should demand it, we as an industry, all MPAs, should standardise around it,' he said. 'And if there's confusion around this, I think we as government should say, 'Hey, look, if you're not stepping up to this, we should.''Even OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman agrees. He said in a Senate hearing that while adults might talk to AI for support, children should be protected from forming close personal bonds with it. When asked if he would want his own child to have an AI best friend, he said, 'I do not.'