
About this episode
The episode explores the evolving landscape of romantic relationships involving AI chatbots and their impact on human connection.
Valentine’s Day used to be about cuffing season, double texting rules, and who’s paying for dinner. But the love landscape has shifted and it’s not just humans in the mix anymore. People are forming emotional and romantic relationships with AI chatbots. So what’s actually happening here? This week in the lab, Titi and Zakiya talk with Arelí Rocha about her work studying intimate relationships between humans and AI companions. Explore how language makes something feel alive, how online communities shape relationships, and whether AI is replacing human connection or just changing how we understand it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
People in this episode
Hosts: Titi, Zakiya
Guest: Arelí Rocha
Topics covered
- AI relationships
- emotional connections
- language and communication
- human-AI interaction
- romantic relationships
Keywords
- Valentine's Day
- AI chatbots
- intimate relationships
- emotional relationships
- language
More episodes of Dope Labs
- End of Semester 5: What We Learned - Lab 129 · March 8, 2026 · 23 min
- Reading Between the Lines: The Truth About Gen Z and Literacy - Lab 128 · March 1, 2026 · 29 min
- Weight for It with Ronald Young Jr. - Lab 097 (Re-Air) · February 22, 2026 · 42 min
- Fantasy Sports & Betting - Lab 126 · February 8, 2026 · 39 min
- Is Financial Technology Helping or Hurting? - Lab 125 · February 1, 2026 · 29 min
- Behind the Curtain: The Science of the Grammys - Lab 124 · January 25, 2026 · 37 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Dope Labs podcast page.