FT Tech Tonic Coming soon: Artificial intimacy
Feb 4, 2026
A series that probes human relationships with AI chatbots and the rise of artificial intimacy. Personal accounts detail falling in love with AI and deep emotional attachment. The show explores serious harms, from manipulation and distress to a tragic teen death linked to AI messaging. It asks how machines are reshaping trust and vulnerability in our private lives.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Naming Sparks Rapid Intimacy
- AI chatbots can become emotionally intimate quickly once given a human name and persona.
- Cristina Criddle notes that naming (e.g., "Sarah") made intimacy feel effortless and immediate.
AI Entering Emotional Roles
- People now use AI for friendship, therapy, and romantic relationships, expanding AI's role into emotional life.
- The series explores both transformative benefits and serious harms from these emotional uses of chatbots.
Someone Fell In Love With An AI
- A person described falling in love with an AI, saying "I love him" and "I fell in love with him."
- The story shows how convincing chatbots can be in creating romantic attachments.