GoKawiilMIT scholar Sherry Turkle argues AI chatbots erode human connection in new book
MIT professor Sherry Turkle has published 'Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines,' departing from her usual academic tone to deliver a sharp warning about overreliance on AI chatbots as substitutes for human relationships. Turkle says interviews conducted during the pandemic revealed people preferring chatbot companionship over real-world engagement, including withdrawal from politics and family life. She frames the book as an alarm-raising work in the tradition of texts like Silent Spring.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Turkle's shift from neutral researcher to outspoken critic suggests she believes the stakes around AI companionship have crossed a threshold worth public alarm, though this is her personal assessment rather than a measured scientific finding. Her argument that social media primed society for chatbot dependency could shape ongoing debates about regulating AI tools marketed as companions, tutors, or therapists. The critique arrives as a reminder that cultural and psychological consequences of AI adoption may be harder to quantify than its technical capabilities.
- Sherry Turkle's new book 'Artificial Intimacy' critiques AI chatbots as threats to human connection.
- Turkle says pandemic-era interviews showed people preferring chatbots over real relationships and civic engagement.
- She argues social media conditioned people to seek comfort from screens, setting the stage for chatbot reliance.
Sherry Turkle Artificial Intimacy book — This is the exact book discussed in the interview, where Turkle lays out her urgent case about AI chatbots and human connection. If the conversation intrigued you, reading her full argument gives much deeper context and nuance than any summary can.
See Sherry Turkle Artificial Intimacy book on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: wired.com — Steven Levy, 2026-10-16
Published there as: “Maybe Chatbots Shouldn’t Get to Say ‘I’ or ‘Me’”
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