If an AI can fake love, does it still count as a real connection?

From Sora 2 to AI companions and synthetic actors, Juan and Kate talk about what happens when the people we build relationships with aren’t real. The conversation centers on Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated actress created by a media company, and how her existence prompts a broader discussion about creativity, ownership, and the impact of algorithms on cultural standards.

The question that follows is simple... but loaded: who profits when the “talent” isn’t human, and what it means when real people start forming emotional bonds with AI companions and chatbots that never say no. It’s part ethics, part psychology, and all very 2025.

🫟 RESOURCES FOR PARENTS

MAMA – Mothers Against Media Addiction:

https://wearemama.org/

Sign up for the MAMA newsletter:

https://wearemama.org/connect/

Join a local chapter:

https://wearemama.org/find-your-chapter/

Center for Humane Technology:

https://www.humanetech.com/

Common Sense Discussion Guide for Kids:

https://www.commonsense.org/system/files/pdf/2025-05/activity-guide-for-parents-talking-to-your-kids-about-ai-5.pdf

🫟 TOPICS

00:00 – Sora 2 (First Impressions)

01:00 – Tilly Norwood: AI Actress Pioneer or Scam?

02:33 – The Traditional Talent Agency Business Model vs. AI

05:33 – Sourcing Data and Beauty Standards

08:31 – AI Actors vs. AI Influencers

13:23 – Romantic Relationships with AI Avatars

14:49 – The Risks of Sycophantic AI

23:18 – Actionable Items for Parents

🫟 ABOUT SLOP WORLD

Juan Faisal and Kate Cook plunge into the slop pile—AI news, cultural shifts, and the future’s endless curveballs. They’re not here to sanitize the mess; they’re here to wrestle with it, laugh at it, and find meaning where you least expect it.