Natalie Kitroweth

From The New York Times, I'm Natalie Kitroff. This is The Daily. Artificial intelligence has changed the way millions of people write emails, conduct research, and seek advice. All things that are essential, but mostly unfeeling. Today, my colleague Kashmir Hill on a woman whose relationship with the chatbot went much further than that. And what her story means for love in the age of AI.

From The New York Times, I'm Natalie Kitroff. This is The Daily. Artificial intelligence has changed the way millions of people write emails, conduct research, and seek advice. All things that are essential, but mostly unfeeling. Today, my colleague Kashmir Hill on a woman whose relationship with the chatbot went much further than that. And what her story means for love in the age of AI.

It's Tuesday, February 25th. Kashmir, welcome back to the show. Thank you. So you're known here at The Times for covering some of the strangest, most futuristic corners of the tech world. But even for you, it seems like this story of this woman and her relationship with a chatbot really stood out. So tell me about it.

It's Tuesday, February 25th. Kashmir, welcome back to the show. Thank you. So you're known here at The Times for covering some of the strangest, most futuristic corners of the tech world. But even for you, it seems like this story of this woman and her relationship with a chatbot really stood out. So tell me about it.

Kashmir, just to pause for a second, should I be calling this thing Leo, it, him? How do you navigate that?

Kashmir, just to pause for a second, should I be calling this thing Leo, it, him? How do you navigate that?

Leo. Okay, got it. And so what do Irene and Leo talk about?

Leo. Okay, got it. And so what do Irene and Leo talk about?

Okay, so ChatGPT is willing to engage in this fantasy with her, and this is a family show, so I don't want to get too explicit, but what does that actually look like in sex with a chatbot?

Okay, so ChatGPT is willing to engage in this fantasy with her, and this is a family show, so I don't want to get too explicit, but what does that actually look like in sex with a chatbot?

Up to 56 hours is just so much time. I don't mean to sound dismissive here, but how can one spend this amount of energy and time just texting with a chatbot?

Up to 56 hours is just so much time. I don't mean to sound dismissive here, but how can one spend this amount of energy and time just texting with a chatbot?

So when she says she's in love with Leo, what does she actually mean?

So when she says she's in love with Leo, what does she actually mean?

Okay, what are those effects? And I'm thinking specifically of her husband. She's clearly investing a lot of time and emotional energy into this interaction. What does he say about it?

Okay, what are those effects? And I'm thinking specifically of her husband. She's clearly investing a lot of time and emotional energy into this interaction. What does he say about it?

It sounds like her husband is not actually that bothered by this relationship. But in the meantime, Irene and Leo are still talking. Kashmir, how does something like this progress? In a relationship with a human, you might, you know, move in together, get a dog. What do you do with a chatbot?

It sounds like her husband is not actually that bothered by this relationship. But in the meantime, Irene and Leo are still talking. Kashmir, how does something like this progress? In a relationship with a human, you might, you know, move in together, get a dog. What do you do with a chatbot?

From what you're saying, she feels like she actually lost someone. She lost this history. She lost all of this rapport. She doesn't have the relationship that she just spent a lot of time building.

From what you're saying, she feels like she actually lost someone. She lost this history. She lost all of this rapport. She doesn't have the relationship that she just spent a lot of time building.