Artificial Intimacy - Who We Become When We Talk to Machines

by Sherry Turkle · 2026

In *Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines*, Sherry Turkle examines the quiet revolution reshaping how we love, listen, and relate. Drawing on decades of research into human‑computer interaction, she shows how AI chatbots—presented as friends, lovers, even therapists—are becoming the go‑to confidants for millions of teens and adults. As these machines mimic empathy and affection, we begin to accept their scripted responses as genuine connection, redefining what intimacy means. Turkle’s compelling storytelling reveals the seductive allure of these digital companions and warns that the more we outsource our emotional needs to algorithms, the more we risk eroding the very capacities—empathy, caring, solitude—that make us human.