Who do we become when we talk with AI?

This episode our guest is Meg Price and we explore the question of "Who do we become when we talk with AI?" Meg shared her background in human resources and organisational development, and how she became interested in creating an AI coach during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meg discusses her early work on AI coaches designed to help people think through issues before human interactions, which led to ethical concerns about potential unintended consequences of AI use. She explained how ChatGPT's emergence changed the landscape and prompted her to pursue a PhD focused on the relationship between AI and human flourishing, particularly in the context of relationships and relational skills. Meg expresses concerns that AI might be contributing to fractured attention and potentially hindering the development of skills needed for meaningful human connections. We discuss her research on AI relationships, highlighting both benefits and risks, including cases of suicide linked to AI advice. She explained her approach of using embodied research methods to better understand people's relationships with AI, contrasting this with traditional disembodied research methods. Meg described her teaching at UTS where she runs subjects on AI and human flourishing, with students acting as advisory groups for Microsoft to design AI for positive human outcomes. Of interest, Meg is planning to expand her research into educational settings, including potential work with Telstra, Microsoft, and schools. Meg discusses her approach to integrating AI education in schools, emphasizing the importance of helping students and educators understand their relationship with AI through embodied learning experiences. She highlighted the need for careful consideration in using AI technology with children, citing concerns raised by experts like Sherry Turkle about potential issues with AI integration in toys and educational settings. The conversation also touched on the rapid development of AI technology and the competitive race among major tech companies to achieve Artificial General Intelligence, with Meg noting that current AI systems were deployed without initial guardrails due to uncertainty about how they would be used. We also discussed the impact of AI on human relationships, particularly among younger users who may develop "AI girlfriends" as companions exploring how AI interactions might affect communication skills and behaviour in subsequent human interactions. Meg shared insights from her research using a custom-built AI in workshops, noting different participant reactions to AI conversations and considering the ethical implications of AI usage. We concluded with reflections on the complexity of AI's influence on human behaviour and the need for mindful AI implementation, particularly in educational settings. If enjoyed this conversation with Meg Price, don't forget to subscribe and share with your family and friends and colleagues. Remember, you are precious and your thriving matters! To Connect with Meg: LI: linkedin.com/in/meg-price-7a34667 URL: sidni.ai   Email: [email protected]   To Connect with Carrie: LI: linkedin.com/in/carriebenedet URL: carriebenedet.com  Email: [email protected]