Using AI all day could make you drink more, sleep less, and extra lonely

[midian182]

In brief: In addition to warnings about making everyone unemployed and destroying humanity, it seems that artificial intelligence puts those that work with it at risk of developing mental and emotional issues and loneliness that could lead to excessive drinking and insomnia.

The new wave of generative AIs' ability to automate work tasks and act as convincing chatbots is well documented and is causing fears over potential mass job losses. Another concern stems from workers interacting more with machines and less with their fellow humans.

Researchers from the American Psychological Association wanted to examine the impact AI could have on those who work with it on a daily basis.

A generative AI is unlikely to swap stories about drunken weekend shenanigans with you

"…previously routine activities such as seeking a second opinion on a proposed solution for a client can now be provided instantaneously (and more accurately) by an AI system. Therefore, more frequent interactions with AI may lead employees to feel socially disconnected from others, which should increase feelings of loneliness," reads the study, via the Journal of Applied Psychology.

The researchers surveyed 794 workers in the US, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Malaysia, asking them to record their interactions with AI. After separating them into two groups, one was told to avoid using AI for three days while the other was told to interact with these systems as often as possible.

In Indonesia and Malaysia, the group using AI experienced a rise in loneliness and insomnia. The AI users in Taiwan, which comprised 166 engineers from a biomedical company, saw a rise in alcohol consumption after work, along with the same loneliness and insomnia seen in the Indonesian/Malaysian groups. The findings were similar among the US workers.

Interestingly, the AI users said they were much more helpful with co-workers and would actively seek them out to see if they could help them with their work. This was likely due the constant use of AI triggering a stronger need to socially connect with other humans.

"Humans are social animals, and isolating work with AI systems may have damaging spillover effects into employees' personal lives," lead researcher Pok Man Tang, an assistant professor of management at the University of Georgia, told The Daily Beast.

The authors said the study could help influence the development of future AI builds by, for example, giving them human voices to make the systems less robotic. Companies should also limit the amount of time employees spend using AI and place more focus on human interaction, with bots reserved for more monotonous, repetitive, uncreative tasks.

"AI will keep expanding so we need to act now to lessen the potentially damaging effects for people who work with these systems," Tang said.

The caveats with the study are that it was carried out using a small group of participants, and there may have been other factors influencing people's drinking, sleeping, and loneliness levels. Nevertheless, it's hard to argue against the belief interacting more with machines and less with people could make us feel isolated as human beings.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/99048-using-ai-all-day-could-make-you-drink.html

 

[VitalyT]

And so could unemployment and poverty, among other things, but AI usage is a conscious choice, no point complaining about it, unless AI starts making you drink.

 

[Nobina]

Internet does all of these things already.

 

[BakaRed77]

I hate that I have to live through this transition to AI. This is definitely going to be rough. We will wonder who will be replaced at their job next. Wonder when it will get aware enough to become a Skynet situation. See it influence mindsets on topics based on owner programming. See a new level of laziness and self entitlement with AI performing all our thinking for us.

 

[godrilla]

And so could unemployment and poverty, among other things, but AI usage is a conscious choice, no point complaining about it, unless AI starts making you drink.

The study has a small sample size. Also drinking alcohol is known to disturb circadian rhythm. People tend to drink socially as well. Most ethenolics don't need ai to push them to drink. The root cause analysis would probably be directly from the stress from potential unemployment. Also some people don't like change well at least on a fast pased. In the world of ai things will start to accelerate very quickly.
The cronies could care less if you start drinking and die from cirrhosis. With ai taking over, morale is an afterthought for ai doesn't get depressed or need enthusiasm. People can also ask ai to play a random joke or play a calming tune for relaxation while they do yoga for years now. Ai can be used to improve health as well although people tend to lean more on substances to feels better than relying on themselves and the homeostasis inner capabilities of our minds and bodies.

 

[zanic]

Technology allowed us to do more things, and more work, which equates to less sleep and less time to interact with people.

 

[Puiu]

Sounds like a BS study to me.

 

[EdmondRC]

If you turn off other relationships and stare at screens all day without any other human interaction, you might be depressed. ~ Dr. Obvious (Captian Obvious's brother)

 

[ScottSoapbox]

3 days of AI usage leading to insomnia!?! That’s someone realizing their job is going away - not I spoke to people less for a few days.

 

[wiyosaya]

In other words, the results of interacting with AI is no different than the results of the lack of human contact when only interacting with other humans through social media.

Somehow, I'm not surprised.

 

[wiyosaya]

And so could unemployment and poverty, among other things, but AI usage is a conscious choice, no point complaining about it, unless AI starts making you drink.

Drinking is a choice the drinker makes.

 

[kiwigraeme]

Sounds like a BS study to me.

I just vaguely glanced at it - and it stank

Let's wait for longitudinal studies , reasonable use ( not highly prescribed use ), more granular

Even if you look at things lots of studies are for - eg red meat eating
If you take populations of everyone eating red meat in America - then smaller group of vegetarians in America
hey presto being vege is healthier - then even if they try and account for vegies being more well off, better educated , exercise more , get sunshine - hey presto vegies are healthier

However if you take meat eaters who , eat if it moderation , don't eat meat with preservatives , or highly processed sauces , who exercise - hey presto just as healthy if not more so

Again with my sample - probably at this level more important what selective meat users or vegies feed their gut bacteria - eg fermented food

Vegans - know about B12, Creatine, D3 etc but what about Choline , taurine etc

Anyway a lot of Blah blah - to say this research is pretty poor - just wants to get attention as news of the day
Lots of online/print rags - just say the headlines

One more fun fact blah blah : Henry Fords factory and also the 8 hour work day are highly unnatural
If you work on your own land , hear, crop , fish , hunt , gather etc work and life are the same - you make the most of the day - sunrise to sunset - talking to a passing neighbour for 100 leaves to blow of the tree is fine normal no one will whip you - your kids will play nearby or bring you food , help out when needed etc etc

 

[hwertz]

I'm curious about the cause and effect on this -- did they drink more, sleep less, and lonelier BECAUSE they began interacting with AI... or are loners who don't get enough sleep (and maybe drink more) more likely to make heavy use of AI? I do have to admit, I installed the 4GB miniturized GPT on my system to try out, and after about 10-20 minutes of novelty, it seemed like a lonely experience. (I was just messing around with it, not trying to make it write me a CV or whatever like some do though.)