When Your Best Friend Isn't Human

A chatbot is always available, endlessly patient, and happy to hear about your day. But is that connection—or a convincing imitation? In Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines, MIT’s Sherry Turkle asks what we risk when we turn to machines for companionship and care. Then, in Shared Wisdom: Cultural Evolution in the Age of AI, data scientist Alex Pentland explores how communities learn from one another—and how we might design technology to strengthen that exchange rather than undermine it. Together, they raise a question that’s bigger than what AI can do: What do we still need from each other?⁠⁠⁠⁠

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