In the face of rapid technological advancements, the concept of relationships is often neglected, with no significant focus on creating moonshot solutions for improving interpersonal connections. Despite groundbreaking innovations spanning various fields like environment, education, and health, the impact of technology on the way individuals connect with each other and themselves is profound and warrants critical attention and development.
[This episode originally aired on August 17, 2023] For all the talk about AI, we rarely hear about how it will change our relationships. As we swipe to find love and consult chatbot therapists, acclaimed psychotherapist and relationship expert Esther Perel warns that there’s another harmful “AI” on the rise — Artificial Intimacy — and how it is depriving us of real connection. Tristan and Esther discuss how depending on algorithms can fuel alienation, and then imagine how we might design technology to strengthen our social bonds.