Why the LinkedIn Cofounder Says AI Can NEVER Replace a Real Friend?
May 30, 2025 — AI might be getting smarter and more helpful, but don’t mistake it for something it’s not. That’s the message from LinkedIn Cofounder Reid Hoffman, who recently shared a firm warning on the Possible podcast: artificial intelligence can’t be your friend — and pretending it is could actually hurt you.
LinkedIn Cofounder: Hoffman, who’s also a major investor in the AI space, said that while AI can talk, listen, and even sound compassionate, it doesn’t have feelings. And more importantly, it can’t truly care about you. Speaking with conviction, he said, “I don’t think any AI tool today is capable of being a friend. And I think if it’s pretending to be a friend, you’re actually harming the person in so doing.”
To him, friendship is far more than a friendly voice or a thoughtful reply. It’s mutual. “Friendship is a two-directional relationship,” the LinkedIn Cofounder explained. “It’s not only, ‘Are you there for me?’ but also, ‘I am here for you.’” That kind of connection, he said, simply isn’t possible with a machine — no matter how human it may seem.
His comments come at a time when companies like Meta are heavily promoting AI companions. Mark Zuckerberg has said these tools could help tackle loneliness, especially in a country where many people report having fewer than three close friends. These chatbots are now popping up on Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and even in smart glasses — designed to feel more personal and lifelike.
But Hoffman doesn’t buy it. In fact, he worries this trend might blur the lines between real emotional bonds and artificial ones — especially for children and vulnerable users. “We’re misleading people,” the LinkedIn Cofounder warned. “And that can be dangerous.”
He did point out that some tools are doing it better than others. The Pi chatbot from Inflection AI, for instance, is designed as a companion, not a friend — and it’s clear about that. Hoffman believes this kind of clarity is crucial. “Helping you go out into your world of friends is, I think, an extremely important thing for a companion to do,” he said.
the LinkedIn Cofounder also made a call to action — not just to tech companies, but to the entire industry and even governments. He wants clear standards and transparency about what AI really is. “We as a market should demand it. We as an industry should standardize around it. And if there’s confusion around this, I think we as government should say, ‘Hey, look, if you’re not stepping up to this, we should.’”
He’s not alone in his concern. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has shared a similar view. In a U.S. Senate hearing, Altman said adults might benefit from AI companionship, but kids need protection from forming deep emotional bonds with machines. When asked if he’d want his own child to have an AI best friend, his answer was clear: “I do not.”
At a time when loneliness is rising and AI feels more human than ever, Hoffman’s message is a timely reality check: AI can support us — but it can’t replace the genuine, emotional, and complex relationships that only real people can offer.
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