Artificial Intimacy: When Machines Pursue Our Attachment (with Sherry Turkle)

Sherry Turkle is a professor of sociology and personality psychology at MIT. She joins the podcast to discuss artificial intimacy and the psychological impact of emotional attachment to AI chatbots. We examine why people turn to machines for empathy and companionship, how conversational agents exploit human vulnerabilities, and the specific risks for children and the elderly. Turkle also explains the importance of solitude, boredom, and vulnerability, emphasizing why society must invest in physical communities to reclaim human connection.
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CHAPTERS:
Episode Preview
Defining artificial intimacy
Protecting vulnerable populations
Intimacy requires vulnerability
Dangers of AI therapy
Embracing solitude and boredom
Reclaiming the real world
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