Yuval Noah Harari: AI makes it possible to mass produce intimacy | The Economist

AI makes it possible. for the first time in history to. mass-produce intimacy. There are an increasing. number of people. who have not just AI friends. but AI boyfriends and girlfriends. and are convinced. that these are sentient, conscious, feeling entities. Now trust... there are many ways. to build trust. The most powerful way. is through a relationship. We don't trust anybody. in the world. as much as. we trust the people with whom. we build a personal relationship.

Now until today in history. this powerful mechanism. was not really available. to political and financial. and religious institutions. because it is difficult. to manufacture en masse. It's difficult for a Hitler or a Stalin. to build a real personal relationship. with every person. in the Soviet Union. You can give a speech. on radio and force. everybody to hear it.

but this is not a. personal relationship. they have with their mother. AI makes it possible. for the first time in history to. mass-produce intimacy. You can have millions of AIs. working as part of a network. in the service of someone, or in their own service, building personal relationships. one person at a time. becoming their best friend, becoming their boyfriend, becoming their girlfriend. and then using that power of intimacy.

to convince them of whatever. political or commercial interests. they want.