Word of Mouth
Word of Mouth
BBC Radio 4
Can AI be our friend?
27 minutes Posted Jan 22, 2026 at 4:00 pm.
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27:43
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Show notes

Michael Rosen talks to digital anthropologist Jennifer Cearns about the rise of AI companions- how do we talk to AI, and how does AI talk to us?

They discuss how chatbots work, whether Michael is replaceable, different application for AI, including romantic partners and griefbots, and what happens when an AI companion goes wrong.

Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Sally Heaven, in partnership with the Open University.

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