Second and Third Order Effects of AI Chatbots

How to find clarity when the lines are blurry...

I'm often mulling over how AI chatbots are being woven into the relational fabric of society. Even general purpose models house a role fluidity that moves users from project planning to personal advice to text message refinement within a single thread. All AI is relational, regardless of intended design.

Our nice-n-neat categories of general purpose vs specialized vs companion AI will continue to grow less distinct as second and third order effects of engagement impact society's relational bedrock. 

There's a lot of great research happening to explore these dynamics, and some of the best in the area of youth impact is coming out of The Rithm Project.

If you want to lean into the AI + youth impact + human connection conversation with a balanced perspective, a good place to start is their latest Substack here: https://lnkd.in/eF2KaeRM

This piece, a study of 2,383 young people, found that “AI companion use” isn’t one behavior. It reflects distinct patterns — each with different motivations and risks. Findings include: 

Cluster 1: 28% of youth are not using AI at all, or use it rarely

Cluster 2: 39% of youth are using AI regularly, but not explicitly for personal support

Cluster 3: 18% of youth are using AI regularly for personal (i.e., emotional processing, relationship advice) supports, but not in a personified form

Cluster 4: 15% of youth are talking to AI Characters regularly

You could look at these numbers and think things are pretty straight forward. But they are not; because 24% of Cluster 2 — youth who said they do not use AI for personal support (i.e., emotional processing, relationship advice)— reported using AI to write or polish texts and DMs.

Can you see the complex layers here? Maybe they aren't using it directly for emotional support, but they are employing it for tasks related to emotional connection.

I think the way toward clarity is increased nuance and flexibility in our conceptualization of this entire space.