Can You Love a Chatbot? Exploring Emotional Attachments to AI and the Future of Human-AI Relationships

TW: mention of suicide in this episode.  This week, Tim had a conversation with social scientist Dr Julie Carpenter, where they explored emotional attachments to AI and the future of human-AI relationships.  Dr. Julie Carpenter is an award-winning researcher in the field of human-technology interaction whose work investigates the dynamic interplay between technology and human identity, social relationships, and connection.  Her recent book, The Naked Android: Synthetic Socialness and the Human Gaze, explores the narratives people construct about AI and robots, their expectations of robotic behaviour, and how these cultural beliefs influence the design and use of real-world robots. She is a Research Fellow in the Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group, a non-partisan organization dedicated to examining the ethical, social, and risk implications of emerging technologies. In this episode, we cover:  How our emotional attachments to pets can help us understand the way we might bond with AI  The difference between AI and robotics  Real-world examples of how people have formed emotional attachments to military robots The ethical concerns surrounding human-AI relationships How our perspective of different brands can impact how we use AI What people are looking for when it comes to intimate AI relationships And Dr Carpenter’s thoughts on the future of AI Find Dr Julie Carpenter here:  Website: jgcarpenter.com Bluesky: @jgcarpenter Mastodon: https://fediscience.org/@jgcarpenter Timestamps:  00:00 – Trailer 00:55 – Who is Dr Julie Carpenter? 08:13 – How we form emotional attachments with pets, and how this relates to AI  11:36 – What is the difference between AI and robotics?  15:58 – Stories of emotional attachment to military robots 25:14 – A short message from Sex in Space 25:27 – Dr Carpenter’s thoughts on human-AI relationships 29:49 – How brand association changes the way we use AI 31:39 – What are the risks when it comes to using AI?  35:21 – Ethical considerations of AI relationships 45:41 – What are people looking for with intimate AI relationships?  49:27 – Exploring consent when it comes to AI  55:01 – Is Dr Carpenter optimistic about the future of AI?  -----------------  Check out our books, 'How to talk with your kids about porn' and 'The Organ Education Forgot', available at https://www.sexinspace.com/books to download or buy.  Follow us here: https://www.instagram.com/sexinspacedotcom https://www.tiktok.com/@sexinspacedotcom https://www.facebook.com/sexinspacedotcom https://www.youtube.com/@sexinspace For more info, check out our website at: https://www.sexinspace.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.