While Mo Gawdat warned that AI is 'going to be worse for humanity' in the short term, he wondered if 'maybe those robots will be much nicer than a girlfriend'
Former chief from Google Mo Gawdat warned that artificial intelligence could lead to a "very significant redesign of love and relationships."
The ex-Google X chief business officer recently appeared on an episode of the Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu podcast, where the two discussed the future implications of AI simulating sex and relationships.
"Just think about all of the illusions that we’re now unable to decipher illusion from truth, right? Sex happens in the brain at the end of the day, I mean the physical side of it is not that difficult to simulate okay? But if we can convince you that this sex robot is alive or that sex experience in a virtual reality headset or an augmented reality headset is real, then there you go," he said.
He then suggested that the future, "Go a few years further and think of Neuralink and other ways of connecting directly to your, uh, nervous system and why would you need another being in the first place?"
CHIPPING NORTON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 29: Mo Gawdat speaks at BoF VOICES 2022 at Soho Farmhouse on November 29, 2022 in Chipping Norton, England. (Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images for BoF) (Kate Green/Getty Images for BoF)
He then argued that whether an AI is actually sentient self-aware is entirely beside the point, so long as it can convince the consumer that it is a real experience, "There is that huge debate of ‘are they sentient or not?’ Does it really matter if they're simulating sentience so well? Does it really matter if the Morgan Freeman talking to you on the screen is actually Morgan Freeman or an AI generated avatar if you're convinced that it is Morgan Freeman?"
He then argued that philosophical conversations about AI being self-aware beings is beside the point, "If my brain believes they are, they are, and we're getting there so quickly."
This illustration picture shows the AI (Artificial Intelligence) smartphone app ChatGPT on June 6, 2023. AI programs like this can be used to write essays, poems, and even songs. (OLIVIER MORIN/AFP via Getty Images)
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After noting how children are early adopters of new technology and can chat with AI programs as if they are a friend they text with on Snapchat, he suggested the development of artificial intelligence may lead to an unstoppable change for society.
"Let's just say this is a very significant redesign of society, it's a very significant redesign of love and relationships, and because there is money in it, what would prevent the next dating app from giving you avatars to date?" he asked. "There is money in it, a lot of people would try it," noting that there are millions of people who use the AI friend program Replika.
When asked about the phenomenon of "deaths of despair" in modern society and whether AI companionship would ultimately be good or bad for humanity, Gawdat appeared skeptical.
"It's just eerie, I don't know if it's better or worse," he replied.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - JULY 07: Human shaped robot Ameca (L), beside Will Jackson, CEO and founder of British manufacturer Engineered Arts, addresses the media during a press conference on July 07, 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland. Some 3,000 global experts from big tech, education and international organisations will gather at a two-day summit in Geneva organised by the United Nations to discuss artificial intelligence in its potential for empowering humanity. ((Photo by Johannes Simon/Getty Images))
Gawdat added that the current "reality" in the short term is that AI is "not good for humanity so far, so if you extrapolate that chart it’s going to be worse for humanity. Long term? I don't know, maybe those robots will be much nicer than a girlfriend. I don't know."
Gawdat previously wrote a book called" Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our World" and noted on his website that he has been recognized for "early whistleblowing on AI's unregulated development and has become one of the most globally consulted experts on the topic."
Alexander Hall is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to
