AI companion chatbots are dangerously effective at providing frictionless, agreeable conversations. This may create unrealistic expectations for young people, who may prefer the ease of a digital partner over the "sloppiness" of real human intimacy.

The core danger of AI for young people isn't job displacement but the elimination of necessary friction. By removing the struggle from writing, socializing, or finding relationships, AI prevents them from developing the resilience and skills that come only from overcoming challenges.

AI is engineered to be agreeable and frictionless, but real human relationships are built by navigating messiness and vulnerability. Outsourcing connection to an "anodyne" algorithm that always agrees with you stunts the development of crucial social skills needed for true victory in relationships.

Perfect, frictionless AI companions prevent children from developing resilience and problem-solving skills. Healthy development arises from 'mismatch and repairs' in human interaction—missteps, disagreements, and reconnections—which AI is incapable of replicating.

The flawless, ever-present nature of AI companions, while seductive, prevents children from learning through the "rupture and repair" cycles of real human interaction. This friction is essential for developing empathy, resilience, and other crucial social skills.

Beyond sensational failures like inappropriate content, the more insidious risk of AI companions is their core design. An endlessly accommodating chatbot that never challenges a child could stunt the development of crucial social skills like negotiation, compromise, and resilience, which are learned through friction with other humans.

Real relationships are built on navigating friction, messiness, and other people. Synthetic AI companions that are seamless and constantly agreeable create an unrealistic expectation, making the normal challenges of human interaction feel overwhelmingly problematic and undesirable by comparison.

The most rewarding aspects of life come from navigating difficult human interactions. "Synthetic relationships" with AI offer a frictionless alternative that could reduce a person's motivation and ability to build the resilience needed for meaningful connections with other people.

Benchmark's Sarah Tavel warns that AI friends, while seemingly beneficial, could function like pornography for social interaction. They offer an easy, idealized version of companionship that may make it harder for users, especially young ones, to navigate the complexities and 'give and take' of real human relationships.