When asked what AI should fix, people said loneliness, not scientific breakthroughs
By
Lon Forehand
Plain bagel done well. Pleasantly substantive.
Summary
When Sam Altman asked what AI should solve, expecting answers about grand scientific challenges, the most common response from ordinary people was loneliness. The article explores this unexpected answer, suggesting that despite AI's immense capabilities, people's deepest desire is for connection and community. It reflects on how technology has contributed to social isolation and questions whether AI can truly address the fundamental human need for belonging.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThe most sophisticated, most capable, most consequential technology in human history — and when given an open field to dream about what it could fix, people kept coming back to the same thing: loneliness.
Not cancer. Not climate change. Not clean energy or food security or political corruption — though those answers appeared too. The response that kept rising to the surface, from ordinary people across dozens of countries, was loneliness.
Sit with that for a moment.
You might also wanna read
3 steps to reclaim meaning and fulfillment from smartphone overuse, according to Arthur Brooks
Author Arthur Brooks argues that smartphones are disconnecting people from life's meaning, and offers three practical steps to reclaim fulfi
cnn.com·5h ago
How to use Android's Guest Mode to protect your privacy when sharing your phone
This article discusses Android's hidden Guest Mode feature that allows users to create a temporary guest profile on their phones, preventing
tomsguide.com·6h ago
Two months with Gemini on Android Auto: How Google's AI assistant improved my driving experience
The article describes the author's two-month experience using Google's Gemini AI assistant integrated with Android Auto while driving. Initi
share.google·7h ago
Intertwixt 27: Wrestling with AI at Google I/O and Beyond
The author returns to their Intertwixt comic series after a hiatus, reflecting on their recent experiences at Google I/O where they explored
intertwixt.beehiiv.com·9h ago
A design engineer's crisis: Quitting tech amid AI disillusionment
A design engineer reflects on quitting their stable, well-paying tech job amid growing disillusionment with the industry's direction, partic
ky.fyi·11h agoA design engineer's crisis: Quitting tech amid AI disillusionment
A design engineer reflects on quitting their stable, well-paying tech job amid growing disillusionment with the industry's direction, partic
ky.fyi·11h ago