The more these students and the rest of us turn to AI for comfort, reflection or advice, the easier it becomes to bypass the slow, messy and deeply human work of connecting – both with others and with ourselves. AI may not replace these relationships entirely, but it could displace them in some ways, making it easier to retreat inward, rather than... See more

AI tools offer constant access to knowledge, perspective and everyday support. But they also make it easier to skip the friction that helps foster growth. If every doubt can be instantly soothed, or every decision readily made by an obliging machine, what happens to the messy, winding process of wrestling with uncertainty ourselves?

Increasingly, AI is stepping into this role too, not because it’s smarter or wiser, but because it’s available. Because it responds without judgment or fatigue. And because, like any good sounding board, it helps you feel like you’re not thinking alone.