Artificial Intimacy: What Happens When We Turn to AI for Connection? with Sherry Turkle, PhD

Humans of all ages are increasingly relying on AI chatbots as intimate and always-supportive social companions. What are the costs of this reliance on “pretend empathy” when it comes to the development of social abilities and our expectations of human empathy and relationships? On this episode of Screen Deep, host Kris Perry explores these questions with Sherry Turkle, PhD, MIT Professor and author of the new book, Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines. Dr. Turkle discusses the implications of human-like chatbots for children’s developing understanding of empathy and connection, and the societal impacts of accepting AI’s performance of these traits as replacements for the real thing.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How reliance on “artificial intimacy” with AI chatbots erodes our capacity for human care, tolerance, and empathy
• Why constantly supportive AI tools make it more difficult to have real relationships which require navigating conflict or a different perspective
• The dangers to children – and society – of growing up thinking machine relationships can replace human ones
• How the business incentives behind AI tools encourage deeper attachment for profit
• Why use of AI chatbots for therapy, which may provide short term support, cannot replicate a caring human therapist
• How use of social media for emotional comfort has acted as a “gateway drug” to a more toxic attachment to chatbots

For more resources and research on this topic visit the Learn and Explore section of the Children and Screens website (https://www.childrenandscreens.org)

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Music: 'Life in Silico' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au