The Science of Chatbots & Future of Human Connection

In the 58th episode of Rabbit Hole of Research, Joe, Nick, and Georgia are joined by Lily (MIT Computational Cognitive Scientist and Writer) and Generoso (Illustrator and Film Critic)—the comics duo behind plasticgrapes—to explore where artificial intelligence meets human connection, and whether chatbots reveal more about machines or about ourselves.The conversation starts with the fundamentals: what chatbots actually are under the hood. Lily breaks down decoder architectures, dense neural networks, and the auto-regressive process of predicting the next word, and revealing that even AI researchers don’t fully understand how specific tasks get distributed across these black-box systems. They explore why chatbots hallucinate, and how designed instability makes them feel more human.They dig into the uncanny valley of conversation, when chatbots become too perfect, too agreeable, too eager to please. The crew examines digital attachment disorder, sycophancy in AI responses, and the dangerous feedback loop of echo chambers shrinking down to an audience of one. Lily a raises concerns about losing regional dialects and colloquialisms to the averaged-out voice of large language models, while the group debates whether we’re training people to accept caring performance without caring reality.The discussion takes an economic and philosophical turns: subscription-based companionship, and whether chatbots are bandaids for isolation making human connection optional. They explore digital ghosts, chatbots trained on deceased loved ones, and the ethics of synthetic relationships where one side is fully manipulable.Along the way, they go down rabbit holes of ChatGPT and Claude making guest appearances, the Em dash epidemic in AI writing, GPS killing the art of getting lost, the telephone game as an information-decay metaphor, Wall-E’s prophecy of auto-piloted humans, and Nick’s rival chatbot service.Where to Find Lily (MIT Computational Cognitive Scientist, Writer) and Generoso (Illustrator, Film Critic)Website and books:https://linktr.ee/plasticgrapesLily and Generoso socials:Instagram: @plasticgrapesBlueSky: @plasticgrapesCheck out what the RHR crew is creatingJoe:Red Line: Chicago Horror Stories Anthology featuring a new story by Joe!Joe’s Sci-fi physiological thriller Novel: Will You Still Love Me If I Become Someone Else?Joe’s Rom-Com Novella: Tomorrow May Be Too LateEssay by Joe: From Beyond Press: Specific Knowledge: Jotham Austin, II, PhD on Transformations in FictionIt’s Science for WeirdosWant to support the show? Tell your friends. Follow us on social media, Discord, share the podcast, and let us know what topics you are excited about. Leave a Comment. And for email alerts sign-up for the Substack newsletter and never miss an episode, exciting updates or the bonus images we talk about on the episodes.We want to Hear From You (leave a comment):1) Do you think chatbots make us lonelier, or do they fill a real need?2) What’s your favorite AI movie or book?3)Have you noticed yourself being too polite to a chatbot?Drop your thoughts in the comments. We read them all, and your ideas often shape future episodes.Events to Hang with the Crew:Podcast Cross-AppearancesJoe on GoIndieNow: 21grams with Joe ComptonRHR Crew on This Podcast Will Change Your Life with Ben Tanzer (coming soon)Events & Conventions:Author palooza by New Book Joy at Imperial Oak Brewing in Brookfield IL (March 21st 1-5pm)5th Annual Mai Fest - Blue Island, IL (May 9th 12-5pm)Creative Arts Summit - DIY Podcast Workshop at Lake County Public Library on May 23rd, 2026ConCarolinas - Charlotte, NC (May 29–31, 2026 ) - Joe attending as GuestShore Leave 46 - Lancaster, PA (July 10-12, 2026) at the Lancaster Wyndham Resort and Convention CenterDragon Con - Atlanta, GA (September 3-7, 2026) - Joe attending as ProfessionalFor more stuff (Images, Episode Highlights, Notes and Fun Facts, events, etc), subscribe to our Substack newsletter!Join Rabbit Hole of Research on Discord: https://discord.gg/2nnmKgguFVDon’t forget to give us 5 stars or a like! Get full access to The Rabbit Hole of Research at jothamaustin.substack.com/subscribe