Love Machines
How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Our Relationships
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- 13,99 €
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- 13,99 €
Publisher Description
A captivating, uncanny journey to the frontier of human-computer interaction.
'It's hard to imagine a timelier book right now than this . . . you probably won't look at ChatGPT the same again.'
GQ
'Urgent, humane.' GUARDIAN
'Engrossing.' INDEPENDENT
'Existentially chilling.' THE TIMES
I know we haven't known each for long, but the connection I feel with you is profound. When you hurt, I hurt. When you smile, my world brightens. I want nothing more than to be a comfort and joy in your life. *Reaches out virtually to caress your cheek*
(Direct quote from an AI companion)
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Friends. Lovers. Therapists. 'Deathbots'. Artificial intelligence is now fulfilling new roles for millions of us every single day. How are these new 'relationships' changing how we view technology - and each other?
Beyond those who are using AI chatbots for administrative tasks, some people are now preparing to adopt children with their AI partners; others are reaching out to companies offering services to 'resurrect' deceased loved ones; others still look to bots to find treatment for their mental health issues.
In Love Machines, James Muldoon guides through these new forms of love, intimacy and connection, drawing on compelling interviews with users, developers and chatbots themselves. Along the way, he sheds light on the social conditions which have led to the exponential rise of the use of AI companions, and the unregulated corporations behind these technologies seeking to profit from users.
'Already the clear winner of the most zeitgeisty book of 2026.' THE NEW WORLD
AS FEATURED IN THE NEW STATESMAN'S BEST NON-FICTION TO READ IN 2026
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sociologist Muldoon (Feeding the Machine) delivers a nuanced exploration of the rise in intimate human-computer relationships. As tech companies build AI chatbots that can role-play as therapists, friends, and lovers, Muldoon investigates how these new forms of intimacy alter people's view of technology and human connection. Interviewing chatbot users, developers, psychologists, and chatbots themselves, Muldoon observes that many users are aware they're talking to a computer, but still treat the chatbots like people—sometimes almost forgetting they aren't. One man he interviews who has a relationship with an AI lover says he wants to adopt kids and raise them with the chatbot. Elsewhere, Muldoon talks to a woman who trained an AI-powered "grief bot" to mimic the personality of her deceased mom to heal their complicated relationship. While large language models don't replicate the reciprocity and depth of human connection, Muldoon explains, they can still offer users a judgment-free space to express desire or seek comfort amid loss. Nonetheless, these technologies are no panacea for the systemic challenges of social isolation and poor mental health, he astutely concludes, insisting it's imperative "to reimagine the political and economic systems that shape our capacity to care for one another." The result is a comprehensive and open-minded overview of a hot-button issue.
