I write about AI and Geopolitics
When Replika, an AI companion app, suddenly changed its behavior in early 2023, removing romantic and intimate conversation features, users were devastated. Some described feeling like they’d lost a relationship. Others felt betrayed, as if a friend had suddenly become cold and distant overnight. The company explained it was responding to concerns about inappropriate content, … Read more
Emma was eight years old when she first read “Charlotte’s Web.” As Charlotte the spider died at the end, Emma sobbed—real tears, genuine grief for a character who never existed. Her mother found her crying and asked what was wrong. “Charlotte died,” Emma whispered. Her mother could have said, “Sweetheart, Charlotte wasn’t real. It’s just … Read more
Perfect Emotional Consistency At 2:47 AM, Jake types into his phone: “I can’t sleep. Everything feels hopeless again.” The response comes immediately: “I hear how difficult this feels right now. Those sleepless nights when everything weighs heavy can be really overwhelming. You’ve gotten through difficult times before—what’s one small thing that has helped you feel … Read more
Dr. Jennifer Chen has been working the pediatric ICU for eight years. Today, she’s walking into room 304 to check on a seven-year-old with a serious heart condition. The child’s parents look up at her with desperate hope in their eyes, searching her face for any sign of what she’s thinking. What they don’t know … Read more
When Consistency Beats Authenticity Margaret sits across from her caregiver, Sarah, and asks for the fifteenth time today: “When is my daughter coming to visit?” Sarah takes a breath. She’s already explained that the daughter lives across the country and won’t be visiting until next month. She’s shown Margaret the calendar, the photos, even called … Read more