Everything is easier with modern technology – except fulfilling your true potential The convenience of modern life is nothing short of astounding. As I write this, my phone is wirelessly sending some of the greatest hits from the 1700s (Bach, if you must know) to my portable speaker. I could use that same device to, within moments, get a car to pick me up, have food delivered to my house, or start chatting with someone on a dating app. To human beings from even the recent past this technology would be, to quote Arthur C Clarke’s third law, indistinguishable from magic. The fact that, as a culture, we seek out and celebrate such short cuts is understandable. They take much of the tedium out of life, make it easier to have fun, and save us time and energy. That said, most people are able to intuit that convenience has a darker side. Continue reading...

In a special episode recorded live at the British Science Festival, Madeleine Finlay and guests explore the question: will AI make a good companion? AI could give us new ways to tackle difficult problems, from young people’s mental health issues to isolation in care homes. It also raises challenging questions about the increasing role of tech in our personal lives. To explore these questions, Madeleine is joined by the Guardian’s science editor, Ian Sample; Tony Prescott, a professor of computational robotics at Sheffield University; and Dr Mhairi Aitken, an ethics fellow at the Alan Turing Institute and visiting senior lecturer at Queen Mary University of London. Could AI help cure ‘downward spiral’ of human loneliness? Continue reading...

Meet Friend: a ‘Tamagotchi with a soul’, wearable AI companion that records your interactions and texts back Your friend is named Amy. Or Jackson. Or whatever name you’d like. They support you, rib you and check in on how you’re doing. They’re a blisteringly attentive listener who will never ask you to help them move, or to come see their one-man play. They cost $99 and are expected to ship out in early 2025. Meet Friend: a new wearable AI companion that you wear around your neck. The small, white, puck-shaped device records your every word and interaction and responds accordingly by text. (The company says it does not store the audio; according to the website, data is encrypted and users can delete “memories”.) An ad for the product shows people wearing it while they hike, game, work and flirt. “How’s the falafel?” Friend asks a woman eating falafel wrap. “You’re getting thrashed, it’s embarrassing!” Friend texts a guy playing video games with friends (human). Continue reading...