Whether it’s for friendship, therapy or sexual and romantic relationships, AI companions are becoming way more normalised. So what does this mean for the way we relate and date people irl? We investigate the rise of AI relationships and hear how you’re using it in your own love lives.

CW: discussion of mental health and suicide

SHOW NOTES:

Mental health and AI companions

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-07/ai-chatbot-husbando-waifu-relationships-romance-psychology/104701556

Reddit - My Husband Wants To Open Our Marriage To His AI Girlfriend https://www.reddit.com/r/AmIOverreacting/comments/1ltm60b/aio_my_35f_husband_36m_wants_to_open_our_marriage/

Can ChatBots Substitute Real Human Romance?

https://theconversation.com/computer-love-ai-powered-chatbots-are-changing-how-we-understand-romantic-and-sexual-well-being-234054

NY Times podcast - She Fell In Love With ChatGPT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tXmc_cYW9Y

14 Year Old Boy Takes His Life After AI Chatbot Encourages Him

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/oct/23/character-ai-chatbot-sewell-setzer-death

AI Companion inciting Sexual violence, abuse, terror attacks

https://theconversation.com/an-ai-companion-chatbot-is-inciting-self-harm-sexual-violence-and-terror-attacks-252625

DM us your thoughts, questions, topics, or to just vent at @triplejthehookup on IG or email us: thehookup@abc.net.au

The Hook Up is an ABC podcast, produced by triple j. It is recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. We pay our respects to elders past and present. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the land where we live, work, and learn.