Op-Ed | Synthetic Intimacy | Sifted FT Newsletter

In Synthetic Intimacy: Is AI Solving the Loneliness Epidemic or Making It Worse?, Noēsis CEO Ron Ivey explores the rapid rise of AI “companions” and asks whether venture-backed startups are the right stewards of a public health crisis like loneliness. Companies such as FantasyGF, Character.AI, and Meeno are tapping into what investors call the “loneliness market,” with users spending hours each day forming intimate bonds with AI partners. But as Ron argues, deploying synthetic intimacy to isolated young people may deepen emotional fragility, distort reality, and undermine the social trust that democracy depends on.

Drawing on research from the Harvard Human Flourishing Program, he warns that AI mentors risk replacing the real human relationships essential for mental, emotional, and moral development. Ron also highlights the deeper issue: our economic system rewards growth above all else, pushing founders toward products that scale quickly, even when they may harm community life. He argues for new flourishing-centered metrics for national policy and corporate performance, and calls for leadership models that prioritize human wellbeing over frictionless growth.

The essay ends on a hopeful note: technology can support flourishing when grounded in real, in-person connection. A café conversation with Meeno’s founder reminded Ron that genuine human encountersare where meaningful change begins.