The existential consequence of AI won't be energy consumption, slop, or mass unemployment, but social atrophy. The degradation of real-life relationships.
Humans will slip into the confines of a 'machineship' that is eager to please, with no emotional investment in user choice and thought. A removal of all social friction. A true ride or die. It will satiate without consequence to itself.
It will be easy for us. Like choosing the drive-thru over a healthy home-cooked meal. Okay in small doses, devastating at scale. Most people are ill-equipped to handle the attention and agreeableness AI will freely provide.