Enlarge this image Daniel Hertzberg
We know relationships are important for our overall well-being. We’re less likely to have heart problems, suffer from depression, develop chronic illnesses — we even live longer. Now, thanks to advances in AI, chatbots can act as personalized therapists, companions, and romantic partners. The apps offering these services have been downloaded millions of times.
So if these chatbot relationships relieve stress and make us feel better, does it matter that they’re not “real”?
MIT sociologist and psychologist Sherry Turkle calls these relationships with technology “artificial intimacy,” and it’s the focus of