【Article by the College of Social Sciences】

The College of Social Sciences held an English session of its “Mind & Heart” Wednesday Lecture Series at noon on October 21, 2026, at the Philo-sofa Area on the 4th floor of the General Building of Colleges. Titled “Do We Still Need Each Other? Connection in the Age of AI,” the event featured counseling psychologist Pin-Chieh Lai from Dao Nan Psychological Clinic, with Professor Huey-Lin Lee of the Department of Economics as moderator. Co-organized with the College’s English-Taught Program (ETP) and the NCCU Student Association (SA), the lecture attracted approximately 40 students from Taiwan and abroad. It explored the growing phenomenon of “artificial intimacy” in the age of AI chatbots and examined its potential benefits and drawbacks for human emotions and relationships.

In her opening remarks, Professor Lee expressed her appreciation for human connection and empathy while acknowledging her curiosity about how AI might affect interpersonal relationships. She then welcomed Lai to share her insights. Lai began by inviting students to imagine confiding in someone who listens attentively and responds thoughtfully, making them feel understood. But what if that person could always provide immediate, precise, positive responses perfectly suited to their needs? Would this make them feel tempted or unsettling? Lai identified this as a central contradiction of AI chatbots today.

With just a few clicks, users can share their emotions and wandering thoughts with AI and receive instant, personalized feedback. Unlike human conversation partners, chatbots do not interrupt, personally judge users for their emotions, or suddenly leave because of other commitments. Yet they also require no reciprocal care from users, creating a one-sided relationship fundamentally different from human interaction.

Through an interactive poll, Lai first explored students’ perceptions of AI before discussing the needs behind artificial intimacy, particularly the desire for immediate, positive, and comforting responses. She encouraged students to consider what are they really seeking when turning to AI for conversation and whether chatbots can genuinely meet human needs. She also raised questions about whether intimacy with AI might change people’s expectations of real-life relationships and whether artificially generated intelligence can truly “feel intimate” in the same way humans do. Lai emphasized the importance of recognizing AI’s place in one’s life: is it only a supporting tool for daily tasks, or has it begun to influence one’s emotions, relationships, the sense of self, perhaps even becoming a confidant?

Drawing on Rob Brooks’s Artificial Intimacy and James Muldoon’s Love Machine, Lai discussed how the use of technology to meet emotional needs may also leave people subject to the influence of profit-driven corporations. Large AI companies may discontinue models or terminate services driven by interest, while sustaining these virtual relationships also requires natural resources, including water and electricity. Furthermore, AI does not engage with users because it genuinely understands or independently wishes to care for them; rather, its responses reflect systems designed to accommodate user requests irresistibly.

The phenomenon of “AI sycophancy,” in which AI tends to affirm users, illustrates how positive responses do not necessarily involve actively exploring the emotional context or seeking the truth. For this reason, Lai argued, AI also cannot replace professional psychological counseling. It lacks authentic human life experience, formal counseling training, and the capacity for a counselor to actively investigate and understand a client’s psychological state.

In closing, Lai drew on the ideas of psychoanalyst Christopher Bollas to explain how meaningful dialogue can stimulate thought. AI’s immediate and consistently positive responses, however, may not produce the same effect. Conversations with other people can encounter differing perspectives and sometimes cause frustration and disappointment, but they also create opportunities to repair relationships and develop a deeper understanding of one another.

The College of Social Sciences organizes the “Mind & Heart” lecture series each semester, inviting speakers from diverse professional backgrounds to share practical insights on mental health and personal growth. Through this initiative, the College aims to provide students with accessible psychological resources and a welcoming, low-pressure environment in which they can seek support whenever needed.