Love Machines: How AI is transforming our relationships James Muldoon
Event details
Friends. Lovers. Therapists. ‘Deathbots’. Artificial intelligence is now fulfilling new roles for millions of us every single day. How are these new ‘relationships’ changing how we view technology – and each other?
Beyond those who are using AI chatbots for administrative tasks, some people are now preparing to adopt children with their AI partners; others are reaching out to companies offering services to ‘resurrect’ deceased loved ones; others still look to bots to find treatment for their mental health issues.
Sociologist James Muldoon, author of Love Machines, will guide you through these new forms of love, intimacy and connection, drawing on compelling interviews with users, developers and chatbots themselves. Along the way, he’ll shed light on the social conditions which have led to the exponential rise of the use of AI companions, and the unregulated corporations behind these technologies seeking to profit from users.
This event will take place live on Zoom Webinar. You will receive a link to join a couple of days before the event and a reminder an hour before. During the event, you can ask questions via a Q&A function, but audience cameras and microphones will remain muted throughout.
Book sales
You can buy copies of many of our speakers’ books from Fox Lane Books, a local independent bookseller and Festival partner. In some cases, author signed bookplates are available too.
About the speaker
Dr James Muldoon is a sociologist whose work explores the human side of artificial intelligence and other technologies. He is a Reader in Management at the Essex Business School and a Research Associate at the Oxford Internet Institute, UK. His broader research reveals the hidden human labour and global supply chains that make artificial intelligence possible, and how digital work is transforming sectors from ride-hailing and food delivery to childcare and domestic work. His latest book is Love Machines: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Our Relationships (Faber, 2026).
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