During an episode of the Dwarkesh Podcast, Meta CEO and full-time uncanny valley resident Mark Zuckerberg dropped a casual bombshell: artificial intelligence might not just be a tool—it might be your next best friend. And not just metaphorically. He said it with stats.
Inside Mark Zuckerberg’s AI Plan for Your Social Life
According to Zuckerberg, the average American has fewer than three friends. Not “close” friends. Not “ride-or-die” friends. Just… friends. Period. But people want 15. So what’s the solution? Apparently, AI. You won’t need real people if Meta can just make synthetic ones that vibe with your search history.
Zuckerberg framed it as part of Meta AI’s mission to “complement” the friendships you already have (or, let’s be honest, don’t have). By learning everything about you—from your conversations to your emotional breakdowns in the chat window—Meta’s AI could eventually recommend the right digital friend at the right time. No awkward small talk. No need to remember birthdays. Just algorithmic empathy on tap.
“The average American has fewer than three friends… and the average person demand is meaningful more, like 15 friends or something,” Zuck said. “Eventually, people are just too busy. They want more connection than they have.”
It’s giving lonely tech bro reveals the main character energy behind the company he built.
Zuck insists that AI probably won’t replace real-world human relationships entirely. But even he admits it’s going to become “a supplement” to human connection—and for a lot of people, probably the main one.
Zuckerberg explaining how Meta is creating personalized AI friends to supplement your real ones: “The average American has 3 friends, but has demand for 15.” pic.twitter.com/Y9ClAqsbOA
— Roman Helmet Guy (@romanhelmetguy) April 30, 2025
Naturally, the internet responded with the tact it’s known for:
“Zuckerberg has 3 friends but wants 15.”
“He’s back on his robot shit with this update.”
“I think he’s trying to tell us something about himself.”
Critics also pointed out that normalizing AI friendships might be less about “connection” and more about manufacturing dependency—keeping people glued to platforms where every click, sigh, and emotional overshare feeds the machine.
If AI can simulate friendship, who controls what kind of friend it becomes?
Zuckerberg’s vision might sound sad, futuristic, or even well-meaning. But if we’re heading into a world where friendship is just another subscription service, maybe we should be asking: what happens when your AI BFF starts recommending ads for antidepressants?
This article was originally written in Spanish by Fernando Eslava in Cultura Colectiva.