Love Machines and the Cost of Digital Intimacy

James Muldoon’s Love Machines surveys how people form emotional attachments to AI chatbots, arguing that intimate digital relationships reveal loneliness, ethical concerns about privacy and manipulation by profit-driven tech firms, and the urgent need for regulation as AI therapy grows. While bots can offer affirmation and support, they can mislead about capabilities, miss human cues, and reinforce harmful beliefs, making cautious deployment essential as AI becomes more embedded in daily life.