Prophets of Technology: Bot Believer vs. Bot Skeptic
Jul 18, 2025•50 min
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Summary
Part two of the "Prophets of Technology" series delves into the evolving role of AI, featuring an interview with Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleiman, who envisions personalized AI companions becoming ubiquitous, acting as empathetic assistants. Countering this perspective, MIT psychologist Sherry Turkle discusses her extensive research on "artificial intimacy," cautioning that over-reliance on AI for emotional support risks eroding genuine human vulnerability, empathy, and the ability to navigate complex relationships, arguing that the "stress" of real human interaction is essential for our well-being.Episode description
As AI infiltrates every aspect of our lives, who are some of the people behind this huge inflection point? In this special three-part series, you'll hear from the people predicting and shaping our tech future. Host Manoush Zomorodi reports on the latest and revisits her favorite conversations with the minds crafting the digital world we live in today: what they've gotten right — and wrong — and where they think we're headed next. Part 2 features Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman and MIT psychologist Sherry Turkle.
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