#  Interloper or Interlocutor? Debating AI’s Impact on Social Interactions 

 





May 04, 2026

 

 

 [ Genevieve Wallace ](/people/genevieve-wallace) 

     ![three event panelists laughing](/sites/g/files/omnuum9911/files/styles/hwp_16_9__480x270/public/2026-05/042726_WEB_ELSCE_Panel_%28MelissaBlackall%29_-16.jpg?itok=_Fr8d0Zq) 

 



 

Artificial intelligence has the potential to make us better people, providing expert-sourced guidance to help us through difficult conversations. But the technology can also generate suspicion, leading people to question the authenticity of these interactions.

An electric discussion, hosted last week by the [Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics](https://www.ethics.harvard.edu/), explored the impact of generative AI on human relationships. Navigating the various ways chatbots fill spaces between people, panelists considered AI in medicine, whether the platforms can be called empathetic, and their effectiveness in coaching and counseling roles.

Read the full story on the FAS Current.



 

 

 

 [ Read the FAS Current article here arrow\_circle\_right ](https://live-harvard-fas.pantheonsite.io/stories/interloper-or-interlocutor-debating-ais-impact-social-interactions) [ Watch the panel on YouTube here arrow\_circle\_right ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAd5-X-V4JM)