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The Risks of Artificial Relationships - Sherry Turkle with Nicholas Thompson

2026-09-30 · 57 min · 9 entities

episode page audio

Asserted relationships

  • → appeared on The Most Interesting Thing in AI podcast
    0.68
    evidence rules-v5
    The Risks of Artificial Relationships - Sherry Turkle with Nicholas Thompson
  • → hosted by Atlantic Re:think person
    0.55
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed author/publisher: Atlantic Re:think
  • → works at The Atlantic company
    0.50
    evidence rules-v5
    CEO of The Atlantic
  • → works at The Atlantic company
    0.50
    evidence rules-v5
    CEO of The Atlantic
  • → discusses Technology company
    0.40
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed category: Technology

Entities found in this episode

companys 5

  • mentioned The Atlantic company
    0.62
    evidence rules-v5
    CEO of The Atlantic
  • mentioned Technology company
    0.50
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed category: Technology
  • works at The Atlantic company
    0.50
    evidence rules-v5
    CEO of The Atlantic
  • works at The Atlantic company
    0.50
    evidence rules-v5
    CEO of The Atlantic
  • discusses Technology company
    0.40
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed category: Technology

persons 3

  • mentioned Nicholas Thompson person
    0.72
    evidence rules-v5
    The Risks of Artificial Relationships - Sherry Turkle with Nicholas Thompson
  • mentioned Atlantic Re:think person
    0.70
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed author/publisher: Atlantic Re:think
  • hosted by Atlantic Re:think person
    0.55
    evidence rules-v5
    Feed author/publisher: Atlantic Re:think

podcasts 1

Episode description as stored
AI wants to be your friend. And your therapist. And your lover. It’s not an entirely new offer, author and MIT professor Sherry Turkle reminds us, but it’s one that’s grown more dire as AI has improved. In a conversation with Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, Turkle describes the dangers of anthropomorphizing generative AI, gleaned from hundreds of conversations she conducted (with real humans) for her new book, Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk To Machines. What do we lose when we make machines our best friends? And what, if anything, do we stand to gain? Turkle details her own experience creating a simulation of her mother, and the wounds that we risk reopening. Produced independently of The Atlantic’s editorial staff. Supporting sponsor: PwC. (00:00) Introduction (03:45) The surprising return of relational machines (07:35) Why Sherry wrote her new book, Artificial Intimacy (11:18) The problem with delegating parenting, education, and therapy to AI (19:07) Why people seek emotional support from chatbots (24:40) Sherry’s concept of “dual consciousness” (29:43) Regulating generative AI use for kids (32:42) Can college students still read and write? (37:32) Distinguishing between useful AI tools and harmful delegations (41:32) How chatbots mimicking deceased loved ones can cause new psychological harm (50:56) What Sherry would do with unlimited AI funds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices