In 1927 the director was amazed Fritz Lang The world of cinema: the first robot appeared on the big screen in his movie “Metropolis” parts of which could be seen years later in the music video “Radio Gaga” by the band Queen. The humanoid robot named “Maria” was then created to sow chaos in the dystopian world of Metropolis, and the robot character was considered iconic and was one of the spectacular visual achievements of the era. Years later, she inspired the design of humanoid robots.
A few weeks ago presented Elon Musk His “Maria”: Tesla’s Optimus robot he owns, demonstrated phenomenal abilities that until recently seemed fictional. At the launch event, the robot is seen walking, moving its arms while conversing in a human way with those around it and handing them gift bags. Elon Musk promised that next year the robots will be on the market and will present a series of impressive abilities such as going for a walk with the dog, babysitting the children, helping with cleaning the house and mowing the lawn and also just a conversation to alleviate loneliness.
If this sounds like fiction to you, the future has long been clear here: the artificial intelligence in which more and more Israelis are being helped, communicates with a voice assistant that sounds just like a person. For example, the Chat GPT platform allows its artificial intelligence subscribers to chat with the voice assistant in any language, in any accent, in any possible way, and the resulting result simulates a conversation with a human being.
But alongside the positive sides of the development of technology, experts illuminate a darker side of the introduction of robots to the market: the danger of loneliness. If the daily tasks we perform together with family members, friends or neighbors are performed by robots, will our human connections weaken? Will we reach a world where robots will not only be the tools for physical work, but also our only friends?
Many studies have already emphasized the close connection between the advancement of technology and a feeling of loneliness. In a world where a significant part of the interactions are carried out through screens, such as on computers or smartphones, we have already seen a sharp increase in the feeling of loneliness, especially among young people. The robots, whose main purpose is to reduce the physical load, may actually deepen the feeling of social isolation.
“The biggest damage in the world of technology and robotics is that it will come at the expense of other things,” says Dr Idit Gutmana psychologist from Tel Aviv University, “When children from the age of zero are exposed to robots and get used to them, they lose minimal skills that may prevent them from being able to talk on the phone or just make small talk. We already see this today: children know how to send icons, record a small monologue on WhatsApp, but have difficulty creating interactions, mingling, expressing feelings and having a long conversation. Their culture is becoming less and less verbal, and communication is becoming more And shorter.”
“The robots may exacerbate the loneliness of humans,” says Dr Moran replieda specialist in psychiatry from Assuta Medical Centers, “Consideration, reciprocity, understanding the other’s point of view, are things that need to be practiced, and in the case of children, need to be learned. A robot cannot offer actual touch, creative connection, or a sense of caring to someone else. Humanity is fragile need the oxytocin hormone that is released from contact with a living being, and to live in an effort to surpass yourself and get out of your comfort zone to learn things Erickson, Piaget, Winnicott – all the greats of psychology saw the actual friction with their peers as a necessary requirement for human development. The “relationship” with a robot does not provide this essential contradiction.
Dr. Shagiv explains that the feeling of loneliness functions similarly to the feeling of hunger: “When you have enough company, you don’t feel it, and when you don’t, it gets stronger and pushes you to look for an answer that will appease it. Just as the body signals a lack of nutrients through hunger, the loneliness that triggers a need for other people is also anchored in our biology. Isolated people are at an increased risk of mortality, which has been compared to the risk of smoking cigarettes. On the contrary, interventions that encourage community and interpersonal closeness improve physical health, and of course mental health as well.”
“Loneliness is oppressive. The need for others is neither dependence nor indulgence, but human nature. Sometimes children have difficulty identifying the feeling correctly or naming it, and instead complain of boredom or a general bad feeling. Also In adults, the feeling of not belonging to the community and social group stimulates the pain areas of the brain. Lonely people experience more pain, and are also at increased risk of developing diseases, and as a result, their referral frequency Ask yourself, who can I talk to about something important that is happening to me? Who am I always happy to see and share what I am going through? One like that, and he is accessible to you and feels that way about you, this is usually enough to protect you from a feeling of loneliness and its negative consequences.”
With the era of technological development, the addiction to screens and the robots lurking at the door, loneliness in Dr. Segev’s opinion will get worse: “Our children will continue not to meet with their friends and get stuck in front of screens, the robots will check on us at home, the rate of singleness will continue to rise. We may reduce the number of people who will be capable of true creativity. People may resort to alcohol, drugs or painkillers to reduce the mental pain caused by loneliness, and risky behavior such as reckless driving may appear as a means of distracting from the pain or converting it into another powerful emotion.
“Technological loneliness may also lead to an increase in depression, anxiety and suicidality, which are already seen at younger and younger ages. The alienation, the falling out of frameworks and a fatalistic feeling, are all linked to the experience of cutting off significant interpersonal shields.”
According to Dr. Gutman, there is no way to fight technology, but the education system and parents will have to pay attention to the phenomenon of media and verbal damage as a result of exposure to screens and in the future also to robotic technology: “The children will need digital literacy. try to live alongside it, but oblige them also in interpersonal interaction. Robots are not humans. They will not replace the interpersonal relationship. They can clean the house, do mechanical work. They cannot relieve loneliness. The interpersonal, spontaneous contact. Interpersonal contact with a person is required for our continued normal existence.
“We are already seeing an increase in the phenomenon of narcissism. The lack of eye contact with the toddler, when the parent is engrossed in the cell phone, significantly harms the normal development of the baby and the child, which may turn people into those who see others as objects, and need people to admire them without seeing the other.”