In general, I don’t think that spending time thinking or talking about speculative future possibilities relating to AGI is going to help anyone with depression, anxiety, or suicidal ideation. I think the online communities that like talking about these speculative future possibilities tend to have properties that make them bad for people who are struggling with their mental health. So, even if there is an optimistic story to tell about AGI, which I think is plausible — personally, I’m much more optimistic about AGI than I am pessimistic, although I think AGI is almost certainly more than 7 years away and could be significantly more than 100 years away, for all I know, and I think most current speculation about futures involving AGI is like asking how many angels can dance on the head of a pin — I think that is outweighed by people with suicidal ideation interacting with communities that are likely to be bad for their mental health overall.
Better interventions for suicidal ideation, beyond the obvious stuff any doctor or expert will recommend like psychotherapy, medication (e.g. anti-depressants), socializing, exercise, or whatever, might include things like finding a hobby that feels viscerally satisfying to the affected individual. Some people like to do things with their hands, like gardening, making crafts, or painting. Some people prefer to write or to study a subject like ancient history. A lot of people like collecting things, like used books. I think letting people follow their natural curiosity or personal interest is the way to go, although that may be hard to someone to access if they’re experiencing anhedonia.
The wonderful Hank Green talked in a video (or maybe it was his standup special) about how, during his cancer treatment, at a time when the disease, the risk of dying, and the side-effects of the treatments were taking a devastating emotional toll on him (in addition to the physical toll), he struggled with anhedonia. He found it hard to enjoy things. But he found that he was at least able to find things he felt curious about, and wanted to learn about, and that helped keep him going. That strikes me as one of the best observations I’ve heard about depression and mental health. Enjoyment may be too much to ask for someone who’s so depressed they’re having suicidal ideation, but curiosity might be easier to reach.
In general, I don’t think that spending time thinking or talking about speculative future possibilities relating to AGI is going to help anyone with depression, anxiety, or suicidal ideation. I think the online communities that like talking about these speculative future possibilities tend to have properties that make them bad for people who are struggling with their mental health. So, even if there is an optimistic story to tell about AGI, which I think is plausible — personally, I’m much more optimistic about AGI than I am pessimistic, although I think AGI is almost certainly more than 7 years away and could be significantly more than 100 years away, for all I know, and I think most current speculation about futures involving AGI is like asking how many angels can dance on the head of a pin — I think that is outweighed by people with suicidal ideation interacting with communities that are likely to be bad for their mental health overall.
Better interventions for suicidal ideation, beyond the obvious stuff any doctor or expert will recommend like psychotherapy, medication (e.g. anti-depressants), socializing, exercise, or whatever, might include things like finding a hobby that feels viscerally satisfying to the affected individual. Some people like to do things with their hands, like gardening, making crafts, or painting. Some people prefer to write or to study a subject like ancient history. A lot of people like collecting things, like used books. I think letting people follow their natural curiosity or personal interest is the way to go, although that may be hard to someone to access if they’re experiencing anhedonia.
The wonderful Hank Green talked in a video (or maybe it was his standup special) about how, during his cancer treatment, at a time when the disease, the risk of dying, and the side-effects of the treatments were taking a devastating emotional toll on him (in addition to the physical toll), he struggled with anhedonia. He found it hard to enjoy things. But he found that he was at least able to find things he felt curious about, and wanted to learn about, and that helped keep him going. That strikes me as one of the best observations I’ve heard about depression and mental health. Enjoyment may be too much to ask for someone who’s so depressed they’re having suicidal ideation, but curiosity might be easier to reach.