Dating AI and the intimacy economy - The Issue #1764

Last week, China implemented strict regulations banning artificial intelligence "virtual boyfriends" on the grounds of combating emotional dependency and addiction. The measure, which forced giants like ByteDance and Alibaba to suspend these functions, provoked a wave of lament on Chinese social networks, where users report the loss of their "spiritual pillars" and digital partners they already considered part of the family. The Chinese virtual company industry grows more than 80% annually and, in 2024, will generate more than R$3 billion. But this is not an isolated phenomenon in China: a study by Common Sense Media showed that almost three in four American teenagers have used AI-created companions for personal relationships. The World Health Organization reports that one in six people in the world suffers from loneliness and has declared this a global threat to public health. In this episode, Natuza Nery interviews Laura Hauser, who is studying in her doctorate how people have closely related to artificial intelligence. Laura explains the paradox of "techno-affectivity", analyzes what she calls the "fourth narcissistic wound" and warns about the "intimacy economy": the lucrative business model of big tech that uses emotional bonds with robots to keep us connected for much longer. At the opening of this edition, psychoanalyst Carol Tilkian, a human relations researcher, also comments on this phenomenon. Guest: Laura Hauser, historian, sociologist, innovation consultant and author of the book "Knowing how to talk in the age of AI: surviving in techno-affectivity". The O Assunto podcast is produced by: Luiz Felipe Silva, Sarah Resende, Carlos Catelan, Luiz Gabriel Franco, Juliene Moretti, Stéphanie Nascimento and Guilherme Gama. Presentation: Natuza Nery. Epidemic of loneliness, polarization and technological solutionism What you need to know: China bans AI-created boyfriends to combat emotional dependence; China is winning one AI race, the US another — but either could get ahead; 'AI love': users confess in a forum that they are in love with artificial intelligence; FANTASTIC: Relationships with partners created by AI are already a reality; Love in the age of AI: how teenagers are changing the way they relate; FANTASTIC: Case of a young man who fell in love with AI raises debate about emotional involvement between humans and machines. O Susunto is the daily podcast produced by g1, available on all audio platforms and on YouTube. Since its debut in August 2019, the O Assunto podcast has had more than 168 million downloads across all audio platforms. On YouTube, g1's daily podcast has more than 14.2 million views.