The American Enterprise Institute’s Council on AI Ethics argues that society must examine how AI development affects human nature and flourishing rather than focusing solely on practical concerns like bias and job displacement. The council contends that widespread adoption of anthropomorphic AI systems risks degrading essential human capacities, from memory and understanding to agency and authentic relationships, through cognitive offloading and outsourcing of judgment. Using scenarios involving education, spirituality, and intimate connection, the authors warn that incremental technological conveniences may cumulatively erode what makes human life meaningful, and call for deeper reflection on human excellence before further AI development.
