How AI Hacks Your Brain's Attachment System (with Zak Stein)

Zak Stein is a researcher focused on child development, education, and existential risk. He joins the podcast to discuss the psychological harms of anthropomorphic AI. We examine attention and attachment hacking, AI companions for kids, loneliness, and cognitive atrophy. Our conversation also covers how we can preserve human relationships, redesign education, and build cognitive security tools that keep AI from undermining our humanity. LINKS: AI Psychological Harms Research Coalition Zak Stein official website CHAPTERS: (00:00) Episode Preview (00:56) Education to existential risk (03:03) Lessons from social media (08:41) Attachment systems and AI (18:42) AI companions and attachment (27:23) Anthropomorphism and user disempowerment (36:06) Cognitive atrophy and tools (45:54) Children, toys, and attachment (57:38) AI psychosis and selfhood (01:10:31) Cognitive security and parenting (01:26:15) Education, collapse, and speciation (01:36:40) Preserving humanity and values PRODUCED BY: SOCIAL LINKS: Website: Twitter (FLI): Twitter (Gus): LinkedIn: YouTube: Apple: Spotify:

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How AI Hacks Your Brain's Attachment System (with Zak Stein) is an episode from Future of Life Institute Podcast by Gus Docker.

This episode is 104:40 long.

This episode was published on Mar 5, 2026.

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