- Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg suggests AI could fill the friendship gap by becoming like personalized companions. But critics such as Hinge CEO Justin McLeod argue this undermines genuine human connection and mental health—likening the phenomenon to eating fatty food.
As the loneliness epidemic continues to worsen in the U.S., people are coming up with new ways to combat the phenomenon that a former U.S. surgeon general said is linked to increased risk of heart disease, depression, cognitive decline, dementia, and early mortality.
