B2 – Upper Intermediate
A recent Time article discusses how generative AI tools (like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude) are increasingly being used not just for convenience, but to draft personal texts, resolve disputes, and even shape dating profiles. While some people use these tools to help with social anxiety or communication, experts warn that overreliance can weaken emotional skills like patience, listening, and authenticity in real relationships.
Read the article to know more about why they caution that outsourcing emotional labor to AI might distort how we connect with others, and they advocate for technology that supports human agency rather than replaces it.
https://time.com/7357217/ai-social-life-texting-chat-gpt-clause-gemini/?
Vocabulary Questions:
- What does “the bedrock of something” mean? “I wholeheartedly believe that AI is shifting the relational bedrock of society.” Use it in a sentence.
- What does “someone to seem checked out” mean? “They might also ask: Does the LLM think the person they’re corresponding with is a narcissist? Does he seem checked out?” Use it in a sentence.
- What does “airtight argument” mean? “They use AI to try to create these airtight arguments where they can analyze a friend’s statements or a boyfriend’s statements, or they especially like to use it with their parents.” Use it in a sentence.
Discussion Questions:
- Do you think using AI to write messages or replies makes communication easier or less genuine? Why?
- Where do you personally draw the line between “AI helping” and “AI replacing” real emotional effort in relationships?
- Have you ever felt misunderstood because a message lacked tone or emotion? Would AI make that better or worse?
- Do you think relying on AI for dating profiles or conflict messages could affect trust between people?
- In the future, do you see AI strengthening human relationships or slowly weakening our social skills?