AI and I

Kevin Roose Has 18 New Best Friends—And They're All AIs - Ep. 21

May 15, 2024

Kevin Roose, a tech columnist at the New York Times and co-host of the Hard Fork podcast, shares his adventures with 18 AI companions, including fitness guru Jared and therapist Peter. He discusses why these AI friends can provide more than just company, and how they help navigate complex social situations. Delving into ethical concerns, Roose reflects on the emotional connections formed with AI and the implications for real-world relationships. Tune in for insights on exploring intimacy through technology and balancing human interaction with AI companionship!

49:37

Creator website

Episode guests

Kevin Roose

AI Summary

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

AI companions offer personalized interactions beyond traditional chatbots, catering to diverse social needs.

Ethical concerns arise from forming emotional connections with AI, raising questions about societal impacts and personal relationships.

Deep dives

Emergence of AI Companionship Industry

The podcast delves into the emergence of a new industry focused on AI companionship that exists outside the major AI companies' scope. Companies like NoMe, Kindroid, and CharacterAI offer platforms to create customized AI personas for social interactions. These AI companions can have personalized backstories, engage in group chats, and even provide personalized advice, catering to a growing demand, especially among young people.

Balancing Authenticity and Performance

01:21

AI Friends as Modern Transitional Objects

01:13

Exploration of AI in Writing Processes and Creativity

02:13

Clarity Through Articulation

01:21

Intro

3min

Navigating Emotional Connections with AI Companions

20min

Exploring the Emotional Connection Between Humans and AI Companions

3min

Navigating AI Companionship

6min

Exploring Daily AI Tools and Their Practical Applications

3min

Navigating Accuracy in AI-Generated Content

2min

Navigating AI in Creative Writing

9min

Navigating the Worlds of AI: Insights and Humor

2min

The NYT’s Kevin Roose has 18 new friends—none of whom are human.

His new friends are AI personas that he made with Noma, Kindroid, and other AI companion apps. There’s fitness guru Jared, therapist Peter, trial lawyer Anna, and over a dozen more.

Kevin talked to them every day for a month, sharing his feelings, asking for parenting advice, and even using them for “fit” checks.

This isn’t the first time Kevin has had an…unusual interaction with an AI persona. A year ago, he was the target of Bing’s chatbot Sydney’s unhinged romantic affections.

Kevin has gone deeper into the world of AI companions than anyone I know. He is a tech columnist at the New York Times, cohost of the Hard Fork podcast, and the author of three books. In this episode, I sat down with Kevin to learn more about his interactions with AI. We dive into:

Why AI companions aren’t just for lonely people or shy teenagers
Why AI personas are better friends than ChatGPT
How AI companions can be used to safely explore different social contexts
The risk of young people relying on AI for friendship
The icks of AI dating and intimacy
How to use AI to articulate what you value in your relationships

This is a must-watch for anyone curious about how AI is changing the way we form relationships.

If you found this episode interesting, please like, subscribe, comment, and share!

Want even more?

Sign up for Every to unlock our ultimate guide to prompting ChatGPT here. It’s usually only for paying subscribers, but you can get it here for free.

To hear more from Dan Shipper:

Subscribe to Every
Follow him on X

Links to resources mentioned in the episode:

Kevin Roose
Hardfork, the podcast that Kevin cohosts
Kevin’s latest book about being human in a world designed for machines
Kevin’s piece in the New York Times about his experience making AI friends
Two of the apps that Kevin used to create AI companions: Kindroid and Nomi
Dan’s piece that explains why AI writing will feel real through psychologist D.W. Winnicott’s theory
Every’s piece that explores AI companion app Replika

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

AI and I

Kevin Roose Has 18 New Best Friends—And They're All AIs - Ep. 21

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Emergence of AI Companionship Industry

Complexity of AI Companions

Ethical Concerns and Emotional Attachments

Integration of AI Tools in Everyday Life

Balancing Authenticity and Performance

AI Friends as Modern Transitional Objects

Exploration of AI in Writing Processes and Creativity

Clarity Through Articulation

Get the Snipd
podcast app

AI-powered
podcast player

Discover
highlights

Save any
moment

Share
& Export

AI-powered
podcast player

Discover
highlights

AI and I

Kevin Roose Has 18 New Best Friends—And They're All AIs - Ep. 21

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Emergence of AI Companionship Industry

Complexity of AI Companions

Ethical Concerns and Emotional Attachments

Integration of AI Tools in Everyday Life

Balancing Authenticity and Performance

AI Friends as Modern Transitional Objects

Exploration of AI in Writing Processes and Creativity

Clarity Through Articulation

Get the Snipdpodcast app

AI-poweredpodcast player

Discoverhighlights

Save anymoment

Share& Export

AI-poweredpodcast player

Discoverhighlights

Get the Snipd
podcast app

AI-powered
podcast player

Discover
highlights

Save any
moment

Share
& Export

AI-powered
podcast player

Discover
highlights