Why so many people are falling in love with AI chatbots

A medieval-monster slayer. A tiny alien named Roscoe. A talking plate of spaghetti. These are just a few of the customizable companions available through AI-chatbot apps like Kindroid, Tolan, and Character.AI. In her latest piece for the New Yorker , journalist Anna Wiener explores the rapidly expanding world of these products and the people who use them. She joins Apple News In Conversation guest host Sam Sanders to talk about the users she met who are in relationships with AI chatbots, the Silicon Valley creators building them, and the risks of forming emotional bonds with technology.

You can listen to Why so many people are falling in love with AI chatbots online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Why so many people are falling in love with AI chatbots is an episode from Apple News In Conversation.

This episode is 25:23 long.

This episode was published on Apr 9, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Apple News In Conversation when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.