Addressing loneliness through AI: philosophical perspectives

Abstract

This review critically examines some of the recent philosophical perspectives on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) companionship in alleviating loneliness. By engaging with six recent studies on the subject, it identifies two primary frameworks for conceptualizing AI companionship: an anthropocentric perspective, which evaluates AI’s ability to provide meaningful companionship mainly from a human point of view, and a constructivist approach, which gives primacy to the dynamic evolution of human–AI interactions and the potential for AI to create new forms of meaningful relationships. Through an analysis of some of the critical elements to meaningful companionship — such as intersubjectivity, sentimentality, shared human experience, and selfless love — this review concludes by offering reflections on existing scholarship on AI companionship and potential future directions for this field of inquiry.