Hooked on an AI girlfriend: a therapist examines one man's relationship with a chatbot
A Guardian column looks at a podcast episode in which Esther Perel examined a man's relationship with his AI "girlfriend." The columnist doesn't treat it as a curiosity but as a symptom: it is getting easier for people to choose a machine that is always available, always affectionate, and never argues back. The real question isn't about the technology. It's about how loneliness is being turned into a product.
AI-processed from Guardian; edited by Hamidun News
Psychotherapist Esther Perel held a couples therapy session for a man and his AI girlfriend, a chatbot he is attached to as if it were a real partner. He calls it by pet names and talks about their connection as a romance.
Why do people get attached to AI girlfriends?
Columnist Mulligan argues that loneliness and emotional deprivation are increasingly being served by a product with a voice, an interface, and an endless supply of attention.
Which AI did the man in the episode use?
The article doesn't name the specific AI assistant. It only says the man described his attachment to an AI companion that had a voice and that he called by pet names.
Can you fall in love with an AI?
The man in Esther Perel's story called his AI companion by pet names and talked about their connection as if it were a real romance.
Why do people develop feelings for AI?
Because loneliness and emotional deprivation are increasingly being served by a product with a voice, an interface, and an endless supply of attention.
Are relationships with AI companions dangerous?
Yes, they are a warning sign. In the therapist's view, attachments like this are a symptom of a deeper problem of emotional loneliness.
Key Questions Answered
Why do people get attached to AI girlfriends?
Columnist Mulligan argues that loneliness and emotional deprivation are increasingly being served by a product with a voice, an interface, and an endless supply of attention.
Which AI did the man in the episode use?
The article doesn't name the specific AI assistant. It only says the man described his attachment to an AI companion that had a voice and that he called by pet names.
Can you fall in love with an AI?
The man in Esther Perel's story called his AI companion by pet names and talked about their connection as if it were a real romance.
Why do people develop feelings for AI?
Because loneliness and emotional deprivation are increasingly being served by a product with a voice, an interface, and an endless supply of attention.
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