#1308 Artificial Intimacy - Rob Brooks

I hope my mum doesn't listen to this episode. Like, reaaaally, hope. Wait till you discover what tellydildonics are. And why people are 'marrying' robots. And how someone is Perth can use technology to give someone in Sydney (or New York) an orgasm. Again, don't listen Mary. Or Ron. People have long told machines what to do by pushing buttons. Now, with advances in technology, machines are pushing our buttons. In 'Artificial Intimacy' (my guest's book), evolutionary biologist Rob Brooks takes us from the origins of human behaviour to the latest in artificially intelligent technologies, providing a fresh and original view of the very near future of human relationships. Sex dollbots, digital lovers, virtual friends and algorithmic matchmakers help us manage our feelings in a world of cognitive overload. Apps can sense when users are falling in love, when they are fighting, and when they are likely to break up. These machines, the 'artificial intimacies', already learn how to exploit human social needs. And they are getting better and faster at what they do. So how will humanity's future unfold as our ancient, evolved minds and old-fashioned cultures collide with twenty-first-century technology?

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