Project Vision 21

So-called “social networks” were supposed to bring us closer to each other, breaking down the barriers of time and space so we could communicate almost instantly with almost anyone. But the only result was to separate us even more and offer us pseudo “friends”, superficial videos, and dialogues only with “emojis”, but not with words.
 

For this reason, the epidemic of loneliness and isolation has reached levels unthinkable just a few decades ago and, furthermore, has become globalized. And the solution experts offer is to use more of the same technology that has created isolation, indicating that humans can maintain “meaningful relationships” with intelligent humanoid robots and AI.
 

This is at least what three Australian professors (Michael Cowling, Joseph Crawford and Kelly-Ann Allen) say  after studying hundreds of cases of interaction between humans and “companion robots” and concluded that these robots offer the “social support” that these people do not. found in other humans.
 

And this is where the question arises: have we so devalued ourselves as humans and, therefore, devalued the humanity of others that our only alternative to not be alone is to be with robots or “talk” to AI?
 

The problem is not how advanced AI is or how human-like humanoid robots look. Nor does the problem lie in the options that AI and robots can offer us so as not to feel (or be) alone and isolated. The real problem is that many humans already “feel better” with robots than even with close friends.
 

And these people “feel better,” these experts say, even when those people know that they do not enjoy the “social benefits” usually attributed to healthy social relationships. In other words, the relationship with AI (in all its expressions) provides “functional and emotional benefits”, but does not generate a “sense of belonging” to a group or community.
 

At the same time, it seems that humans can no longer generate that sense of belonging among ourselves, since now “friends” are those who appear on our contact list on social networks (even if we do not even know why they are on that list). list) and “enemies” are all those who do not think like us or believe what we believe.
 

Being alienated from ourselves and having separated ourselves, for that very reason, from other human beings (the other is never “another me”) generates as a consequence our separation from nature or, if you prefer, from the universe, or even of divinity, a topic widely analyzed by Otto Scharmer (theory of change) and by Iain McGilchrist (neuroscience).
 

According to Scharmer, our relationship with nature is fractured (ecological divide), there is disconnection between self and other (social divide), and there is a loss of meaning and purpose in our lives (spiritual divide). 
 

This triple separation (from our selves, from others and from nature) is not resolved by approaching robots. On the contrary, in this way the separation grows until it becomes an abyss. In our desire to humanize AI and robots we don't mind dehumanizing ourselves.