DEEP DIVE: Would you rather chat to a bot or your mates?

Could artificial intelligence (AI) be accelerating the so-call 'loneliness' epidemic in Australia? New research has found one in six Australians would sometimes rather stay home and chat to AI than go out with their friends. While one in seven reckon they could fall in love with a bot. In this deep dive episode, we unpack why young Aussies are turning to AI chatbots for connection. Guests: Dr Raffaele Ciriello, digital innovation and ethics researcher, University of Sydney  Get the whole story from Hack: Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

An episode of the Hack podcast, hosted by Australian Broadcasting Corporation, titled "DEEP DIVE: Would you rather chat to a bot or your mates?" was published on October 24, 2025 and runs 19 minutes.

October 24, 2025 ·19m · Hack

Summary

Could artificial intelligence (AI) be accelerating the so-call 'loneliness' epidemic in Australia? New research has found one in six Australians would sometimes rather stay home and chat to AI than go out with their friends. While one in seven reckon they could fall in love with a bot. In this deep dive episode, we unpack why young Aussies are turning to AI chatbots for connection. Guests: Dr Raffaele Ciriello, digital innovation and ethics researcher, University of Sydney  Get the whole story from Hack: Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to the hack podcast Listen on the triple j app or on your radio live every weeknight at 5:30pm

Episode Description