The burgeoning field of social-emotional AI is tackling the very jobs traditionally thought to be done by humans: jobs that rely on emotional connections, such as therapists, teachers, and coaches. AI is now widely used in education and other interpersonal services. Vedantu, an Indian web-based tutoring platform valued at $1 billion, uses AI to analyze student work, Finnish company develops chatbot Annie Advisor that works with more than 60,000 students They ask how students are doing and offer help. and direct them to your services. Berlin-based startup clare&me offers an AI audio bot therapist that the company calls a “24/7 mental health ally.” Meanwhile, Limbic in the UK offers a chatbot called Limbic Care, which it calls a “friendly therapy companion.”
The question is: Who will benefit from such automation? The wealthy may be the first to adopt technology, but they also know the value of human attention. One spring day before the pandemic hit, I visited an experimental school in Silicon Valley. There, children are using computer programs for customized lessons in many subjects, from reading to math, just as a wave of other schools are emerging that seek to “disrupt” traditional education. Ta. . There, students primarily learn using apps, but are not completely self-studying. The fee-paying school has been spending more and more time with adults since its founding several years ago, as the limits of automated education become clearer. Now, kids spend all mornings learning computer applications like Quill and Tynker, then participate in brief small group lessons about specific concepts taught by human teachers. I also have weekly 45-minute one-on-one meetings with my “advisors” to not only track their progress but also ensure an emotional connection.
We know that good relationships lead to better outcomes in healthcare, counseling, and education. Human consideration and concern help people feel “seen,” and that sense of recognition is the basis not only for health and well-being, but also for valuable social assets such as trust and belonging. For example, one British study titled “Is Efficiency Overrated?” found that people who conversed with baristas felt happier than those who breezed by their baristas. . Researchers have found that people feel more socially connected when they have deeper conversations and reveal more during interactions.
But with austerity and a drive to cut labor costs, many workers now have more relationship-building duties and less time to spend time with students and patients. This contributes to a widespread feeling of alienation and loneliness that I call the depersonalization crisis. U.S. government researchers found that “more than half of primary care physicians report feeling stressed due to time pressures and other work conditions.” One pediatrician told me: You know, everyone is entitled to as much time as they need, and it really helps people get time, but it’s not profitable. ”
The rise of personal trainers, personal chefs, personal investment counselors, and other personal service workers (what one economist has called “wealth work”) is a sign of how wealthy people are solving this problem and how the This shows how face-to-face service is one of the most important services. The fastest growing occupation group. But what are the options for the less fortunate?
For some, the answer is AI. Engineers who designed virtual nurses and AI therapists often told me that their technology was “better than nothing.” This is especially useful for low-income people who cannot afford the attention of busy nurses at local clinics. Treatment. And it would be hard to agree with this when we live in what economist John Kenneth Galbraith called “private riches and public poverty.”
