Life Imitates Art: AI, Relationships, and the Insights of Utopian & Dystopian Fiction

In this episode of Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah, I explore how contemporary fiction and nonfiction depict love and relationships between humans and artificial intelligence. Blending utopian and dystopian perspectives, I examine novels such as Klara and the Sun, Machines Like Me, and Frankissstein, alongside nonfiction works by thinkers like Sherry Turkle and Susan Schneider. Utopian stories portray AI as capable of empathy and moral growth, offering new forms of connection, while dystopian visions warn of emotional automation and the commodification of intimacy. Nonfiction writers echo these tensions, questioning whether real affection is possible with machines and what our longing for digital companionship reveals about human loneliness. Is AI both our mirror and our muse? Join me as we explore all this and more!Hope you enjoy the listen. Email us at [email protected] Support the showDon't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and get new episodes as they are released. If you'd like access to the transcripts, do subscribe to my substack: Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah - Transcripts on Substack.If you'd like a bibliotherapist in your pocket then you might find my book, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading a helpful companion.******************************************************************************************Get 10% off with code PODCAST on the following:Online Bibliotherapy CoursesPersonalised Book PrescriptionsBibliotherapy SessionsYou can also follow us on your preferred platform using the links below:InstagramFacebook