After four decades of studying human-computer interaction, MIT professor Sherry Turkle is shifting her stance. In her new book, Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines, she moves away from academic neutrality to declare a state of emergency. Turkle argues that humanity is at risk from an overreliance on 'soulless machines' posing as mentors, friends, and lovers.
Banning the First Person
One of Turkle's most radical proposals is banning chatbots from using first-person pronouns like 'I' or 'me.' She maintains that there is no functional reason for this technology to speak in the first person and that the intimacy it fosters is a dangerous slippery slope. According to Turkle, the 'warm soup of total acceptance' provided by Large Language Models (LLMs) makes talking to AI an endgame, preventing people from engaging with reality and political action.
The 'Human in the Loop' Deception
Turkle offers a sharp critique of the term 'human in the loop,' commonly used in workplace settings. She views the phrase as a facade, suggesting that the human has been removed from the productive process and exists only to perform cleanup work or provide legal cover for companies when AI hallucinates. 'The process has been delegated to an AI,' she notes, arguing that humans in these roles have little power to change outcomes.
Loneliness and the Human Experience
Addressing the argument that chatbots help combat loneliness, Turkle remains firm: AI can never replace human conversation because it lacks fundamental human experiences—the fear of death, illness, pain, and love. Instead of investing in data centers, the professor suggests redirecting those resources toward real social support, such as elderly care.
