Demand for 15 friends?

I started this quiet Sunday morning watching my dog have his zoomies in the backyard:

Though completely unrelated, I started to think about Mark Zuckerberg’s recent comments about AI companions suggesting that the world hasn’t yet found the value in AI girlfriends and therapists. I didn’t watch the entire podcast but read enough commentaries to get the gist and to know that I have no interest in giving that idea any more attention.1

We don’t demand friendship. We put immense effort into it and give our friends attention and love. We water the relationship like a flower, tend to it with our precious time, witness it with awe, and marvel at how that flower is a tiny but common representation of the magic of our universe.

His wording choice clearly reflects his view of the world—a tech billionaire demanding things and getting them. A tech billionaire demanding that we continue using his services so he can pad his pockets, so he can demand more things and get them.

I don’t want to give into those demands nor do I accept the premise of his idea. In fact,

• I demand a clutter-free brain that doesn’t, out of habit, scroll on my phone when I’m in line at the grocery store, instead of offering a smile to a fellow shopper.

• I demand the peace I used to have when sitting across the dining table at dinner with my partner.

• I demand the confidence in myself that comes from knowing exactly what I spent money on this past month, and the satisfaction of knowing that I didn’t impulsively purchase some cheaply made household item that breaks environmental laws, worker safety regulations, and the like.

• I demand a world where I can look into the eyes of the person I’m talking to and know that they have my full attention, just as I give them mine, rather than staring at their forehead as they look at their phone.

• I demand a world where my friends feel safe, respected, and valued, no matter their gender, identity, religion, culture, or background.

• I demand kindness, both in our interactions online and offline, and the courage to stand up for what’s right, even when it’s difficult.

• I demand the time and space to recharge, to connect with nature, and to nurture relationships that matter most.

Most importantly, I demand a future where technology serves humanity’s well-being, not the other way around.