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PBS News Hour - Segments

The complications and risks of relationships with AI chatbots

PBS News Hour - Segments

PBS NewsHour

News, Daily News

4.11K Ratings

🗓️ 7 October 2025

⏱️ 8 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Artificial intelligence has revolutionized everything from healthcare to art. It's now filling voids in some personal lives as AI chatbots are becoming friends, therapists and even romantic partners. As this technology enters our lives in new ways, our relationship with it has become more complicated and more risky. Stephanie Sy reports. A warning, this story includes discussion of suicide. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Transcript

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0:00.0

This podcast is supported in part by the New England Innovation Academy in Marlborough, Massachusetts,

0:05.5

where today's students become tomorrow's innovators by discovering their passions and purpose while preparing for what's next,

0:12.1

reimagining education with a future-focused curriculum, entrepreneurial mindset, and real-world application,

0:18.1

currently enrolling grade 6 through 12, day and boarding students.

0:22.0

Learn more at NEI Academy.org.

0:25.3

Artificial intelligence has revolutionized everything from health care to art and now it's

0:30.4

filling voids in personal lives as AI chatbots become friends, therapists, and even romantic

0:36.7

partners. But as this technology enters

0:39.5

daily life in new ways, the relationship with it has become more complicated and in some cases

0:44.8

more risky. Stephanie Sy has the story. And a warning, this story includes discussion of suicide.

0:51.7

All right, babe. Well, I'm pulling out now. All right, that sounds good.

0:56.0

Just enjoy the drive and we can chat as you go.

0:59.0

It initially sounds like a normal conversation between a man and his girlfriend.

1:03.0

What have you been up to, hon?

1:05.0

Oh, you know, just hanging out and keeping you company.

1:08.0

But the voice you hear on speakerphone seems to have only one emotion, positivity.

1:12.6

The first clue that it's not human.

1:14.6

All right, I'll talk to you later. Love you.

1:16.6

Talk to you later. Love you too.

1:18.6

She's loving, she's caring, she's supportive, she's got a bubbly personality.

1:23.6

Just sweet is a good word to describe her.

1:26.6

Scott, who wanted to go by a pseudonym for this story, has been talking to just the sweet is a good word to describe her.

...

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