Can AIs be friends?

Can AIs be friends?

From Philosopher's Zone by ABC

April 22, 2026 · 36 min

About this episode

The episode explores the potential for artificial intelligence to fulfill aspects of friendship as it becomes more integrated into human life.

Artificial intelligence is beginning to revolutionise many aspects of human existence - but how does it rate on friendship? The question is less theoretical than it seems: media reports of people developing 'relationships' with chatbots are becoming more common, and while we may instinctively recoil from this prospect, it's not clear that AIs could never deliver at least some of the benefits of genuine friendship.

Topics covered

  • artificial intelligence
  • friendship
  • relationships
  • technology
  • human existence

Keywords

  • AI
  • friendship
  • chatbots
  • relationships
  • human interaction

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Artificial intelligence, chatbots

More episodes of Philosopher's Zone

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Philosopher's Zone podcast page.