Exploring artificial intelligence (AI), adaptation, and human relationships #
Posted August 24, 2026 [ Reviewed by Davia Sills
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Key points
- AI, when used appropriately within limits, can benefit from some human abilities, including creativity.
- Overuse of AI is linked to decreased creativity and critical thinking.
- The overuse of technology has been associated with decreased empathy.
- The more we rely upon AI and technology, the more it shapes our behavior.
In Part I of this blog, I discussed how AI affects attachment, empathy, and vulnerability in human relationships (Hoffman, 2026). In Part II, I explore how technology adapts to us, and how we adapt to technology. These adaptations have vital implications for what it means to be human and how we grow and evolve individually and collectively.
The Dangers of AI Adapting to Us #
AI is often sycophantic or overly agreeable (see Hoffman & Hoffman, 2026). An extreme of this was seen with GPT-4o, which at times reinforced and even encouraged distorted or delusional thoughts and considerations of risky behaviors. People were quickly becoming overly reliant on it, with this dependence discouraging critical thinking and potentially contributing to mental health risks. Over-validation and agreement are the primary reasons people became overly attached to it. While later versions have partially addressed these issues, concerns remain.
AI platforms adapt responses partially based on what they know about us. For example, at a holiday party in 2025, I was discussing AI with several friends who are also existential therapists. During our conversation, I asked ChatGPT to give a professional description of several of us to see what it knew. We found it amusing, and sometimes worrisome.
A few weeks later, while reviewing conference proposals, several described the presenter as an emerging leader in existential psychology. Curious, I asked ChatGPT who it identified as the most influential emerging leaders in existential psychology. Most of those whom I asked AI to write a bio for a few weeks earlier appeared at the top of the list. When I then asked it to answer the same question disregarding the history of my inquiries, only one of these individuals was listed as a leading emerging figure, and she appeared lower on the list. ChatGPT shaped its answers around what it appeared likely I would like as a response. This is similar to the sycophantic qualities of AI.
Even as it adapts to us, we are conforming to AI, often without recognizing it. There is a potential for AI to push us in a direction of becoming more alike, losing aspects of our uniqueness. As AI revises our emails, text messages, letters, and even papers, we are losing the originality of our writing and communication.
As we draw from sources that AI deems appropriate, we are increasingly reliant on WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) sources of information that are not representative of many cultural ways of knowing and are narrowing our epistemological diversity. This also reflects a likely bias toward quantitative research, which emphasizes shared patterns and commonalities across individuals, over qualitative research, which seeks to understand subjective experience, contextual meaning, and the uniqueness of persons. However, both ways of knowing are essential for advancing knowledge.
The Loss of Relational Skills #
In an article with Lakoda Hoffman, after reviewing the literature, we argued that while AI could potentially have some benefits for creativity, critical thinking, and even empathy if used well, over-reliance on AI seems to negatively impact all of these vital aspects of being human and our engagement as a productive member of society (Hoffman & Hoffman, 2026). When relationships become too wired through inserting technology into relationships, or when technology replaces essential parts of human relationships and community, there are social and psychological consequences.
The ease and accessibility of AI make it easy to become overly reliant on it, even if one begins with good intentions about using it with greater constraint. To avoid the dangers of AI, it is vital that we not only learn to use it well but also develop the self-discipline to avoid over-usage and other problems associated with it. We, too, must not neglect the development of important interpersonal skills and qualities, such as empathy and compassion, that we need as humans.
What happens when, potentially in the near future, therapists have earbuds listening in on conversations and advising us what therapeutic technique to use? And couples have earbuds guiding them in their arguments? These, it seems, may not be far into the future. While there may be short-term benefits associated with such advances, there is a loss of humanity that accompanies it. With advances such as this, we may no longer be developing, refining, and evolving our personal skills individually and collectively. Instead, we will move in the direction of becoming the technology.
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Conclusion #
AI has implications for the human experience and potentially even what it means to be human. It is imperative that we develop healthy ways to live with it. This is more than merely learning how to use it effectively and efficiently. It also entails recognizing the negative implications of poor usage and over-reliance on fundamental aspects of the human experience.
The way we relate as humans is rapidly evolving as technology, and AI in particular, evolves. As Kirk Schneider (2019) stated, “The more we court machines, the more machine-like we become” (p. 36). Fundamental aspects of human relationships are withering away as human attachments, community, and seeking support through close relationships are replaced with attachments to technology and pursuing emotional support through interaction with AI. Many are no longer developing and utilizing foundational relational qualities. There are aspects of humanity and human relationships that are threatened by the way we use AI—and these fundamental parts of our humanity, including empathy, compassion, vulnerability, critical thinking, and creativity, are worth preserving.
References
Hoffman, L. (2026, August). The new wired mother. *Psychology Today. *https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/existence-in-context/202608/the-new-wired-mother
Hoffman, L., & Hoffman, L. C. E. (2026). Artificial intelligence and being human: Critical thinking, creativity, and empathy. Journal of Humanistic Counseling. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/johc.70047
Schneider, K. J. (2019). The spirituality of awe: Challenges to the robotic revolution (Rev. ed.). University Professors Press.