Could we have another family?

On LessWrong, philosopher Katja Grace explores a thought experiment: could artificial intelligence help create new family-like institutions? Family is deeply important but fragile. Many people lack close family bonds, or families fail them. Grace proposes an idea: what if a government or large group used AI to sort people into small communities of four to ten, based on personality compatibility and physical proximity, then incentivized them to bond through shared access to local amenities? The potential appeal is significant—algorithms could match people with genuine affinity for lifelong relationships, what Grace calls 'platonic soul-mates.' But she recognizes a challenge: real families derive power partly from involuntary commitment, the fact that you can't simply leave, and from blood ties that transcend personality assessment alone. Grace suspects the right personality system might bridge that gap—but she's uncertain whether it could truly recreate what makes families irreplaceable.

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