Navigating the Risks of Artificial Companionship

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into daily life, AI companion applications are rapidly proliferating, offering millions of users simulated friendship, emotional support, and even intimate relationships.
This talk examines the growing societal risks posed by these platforms, identifies the key drivers of potential harm, and explores the different kinds of consequences they can cause. It concludes with a discussion of possible measures that developers can take to mitigate these risks.

Monday, October 13, at 4:30 PM, the seminar Navigating the Risks of Artificial Companionship, held by Andrew Strait, will take place.

The seminar will be held online: to participate, click this link

Speaker: Andrew Strait, UK AI Security Institute

Biography
Andrew is the Head of Societal Resilience at the UK AI Security Institute, where he leads a team studying the societal impacts of advanced artificial intelligence in the United Kingdom. Previously, he was Associate Director at the Ada Lovelace Institute, responsible for the institute’s work on emerging technologies and industry practices.
Over the past decade, Andrew has worked at the intersection of technology, law, and society. Before joining Ada, he was an Ethics & Policy Researcher at DeepMind, where he managed internal AI ethics initiatives and oversaw the company’s network of external partnerships. He also worked as a Legal Operations Specialist at Google, where he developed and implemented platform moderation policies on topics such as data protection, hate speech, terrorist content, and child safety.

For more information, please contact Professor Daniele Quercia.