Quick thoughts

1. AI companions over real friends?

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg envisions a future where AI friends, therapists and business agents will significantly outnumber real human companions, aiming to address loneliness — though critics warn this could deepen social isolation rather than alleviate it.

2. The doctor of the future?

In the book Dr. Bot: Why Doctors Can Fail Us and How AI Could Save Lives, Charlotte Blease, a researcher in Digital Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, explores how AI could become the most reliable "doctor" in history — one that doesn't get tired, doesn't hold biases and learns continuously.

3. What if AI gets therapy wrong?

A Stanford study warns that AI therapy chatbots may reinforce mental health stigma and miss red flags like suicidal ideation — but also notes their potential to assist with low-risk tasks like journaling, reflection, or therapist training, if used with care.