Don’t let AI steal all the joy: what scientists won’t give up to chatbots - Nature

Loneliness and social isolation are widespread in the United States. According to a 2023 report, about half of U. S. adults experience loneliness, while nearly as many are socially isolated. Despite health consequences that can rival other major risk factors, both problems remain relatively overlooked as urgent public health concerns. Until recently, however, researchers had little idea how many years of good health might actually be lost to loneliness and social isolation.

A group of chimpanzees feeding together in a natural forest environment on Ngamba Island, Uganda. How likely is a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) to steal food from another chimp? It depends on whether they’re a friend or a foe. A team of biologists discovered that chimps pilfer less from their friends, and that the relationship between the victim and the thief influenced the emotional display of both parties. The findings are described in a study recently published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.

ChatGPT doesn’t dread job interviews; it’s not even afraid of speaking in public. It doesn’t mourn, panic, seethe with anger, or need to focus on its breathing. It may give answers that mirror human emotions, but it doesn’t have emotions of its own. But put an artificial intelligence through experiments designed to provoke those states in humans, and something strange happens: its behavior begins to resemble that of humans.