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← On with Kara Swisher

Sherry Turkle Doesn't Buy the Promise of a Perfect Machine

September 24, 2026·53m

Our relationship with the digital world is more intimate than ever before – and in her new book, Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines, pioneering tech researcher Sherry Turkle explores the rise of AI companions and what they’re doing to our relationships and identities. Kara and Sherry talk about how chatbots aren’t just competing for our time – they’re designed to become objects of emotional attachment. They also discuss the risky appeal of friction-free relationships, the importance of boredom and vulnerability to development, and what we lose when we outsource our thinking and emotional lives to machines. Questions? Comments?