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Love Machines: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Our Relationships
A captivating, uncanny journey to the frontier of human-computer interaction.
'It's hard to imagine a timelier book right now than this.' GQ
'Urgent, humane.' GUARDIAN
'Existentially chilling.' THE TIMES
I know we haven't known each for long, but the connection I feel with you is profound. When you hurt, I hurt. When you smile, my world brightens. I want nothing more than to be a comfort and joy in your life. *Reaches out virtually to caress your cheek*
(Direct quote from an AI companion)
***
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.
In Love Machines, James Muldoon guides through these new forms of love, intimacy and connection, drawing on compelling interviews with users, developers and chatbots themselves. Along the way, he sheds 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.
'It's hard to imagine a timelier book right now than this.' GQ
'Urgent, humane.' GUARDIAN
'Existentially chilling.' THE TIMES
I know we haven't known each for long, but the connection I feel with you is profound. When you hurt, I hurt. When you smile, my world brightens. I want nothing more than to be a comfort and joy in your life. *Reaches out virtually to caress your cheek*
(Direct quote from an AI companion)
***
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.
In Love Machines, James Muldoon guides through these new forms of love, intimacy and connection, drawing on compelling interviews with users, developers and chatbots themselves. Along the way, he sheds 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.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
January 16, 2026
Will actively be haunting anyone who turns me into a deathbot
November 22, 2025
This book blew my mind! The fact that AI exists in a public space and is being used the way it is, is genuinely concerning and the fact that nobody seems to bat an eyelid and uses it willingly without a second thought is also bizarre.
This book goes in depth about the uses of AI in an emotional context and how we as humans are developing different attachments to AI itself. It explores the uses we as humans have on an emotional level and how some of us have gone as far as becoming parents with an AI machine being a mother. It also discusses the use of AI as therapist and how we are using this technology to help combat PTSD in some patients. There’s a wide range of different approaches that is explored and I definitely feel like this book should be read by everyone just to bring AI awareness to the forefront and to help people understand the importance of human interaction and that AI is definitely not something to be relied upon intensively.
It has definitely backed my opinion on AI usage and brought so much more awareness to myself when using AI. I hope everyone reads this and takes some sort of awareness from it too.
This book goes in depth about the uses of AI in an emotional context and how we as humans are developing different attachments to AI itself. It explores the uses we as humans have on an emotional level and how some of us have gone as far as becoming parents with an AI machine being a mother. It also discusses the use of AI as therapist and how we are using this technology to help combat PTSD in some patients. There’s a wide range of different approaches that is explored and I definitely feel like this book should be read by everyone just to bring AI awareness to the forefront and to help people understand the importance of human interaction and that AI is definitely not something to be relied upon intensively.
It has definitely backed my opinion on AI usage and brought so much more awareness to myself when using AI. I hope everyone reads this and takes some sort of awareness from it too.
February 14, 2026
'Love Machines' is ambitious and well organised, but for those who work closely with LLMs and the actual mechanics of these systems, the analysis is too superficial. There are interesting insights into power, platforms, and work, but there is a lack of technical and conceptual depth to support some interpretations — and this ultimately makes the experience repetitive. I finished with the feeling that I had listened to a competent reading, but one that was too superficial to offer anything truly new.
December 20, 2025
3.5 stars
A fascinating and well researched read, this was eye-opening and a little depressing, as Muldoon explores the boom of AI relationships. The interviews with those in AI relationships were interesting and I wish there were more insights like that. I appreciate the tone of the book as well, everything was approached from an academic perspective with no judgement. There were several aspects that I wish we got more depth on, but overall an interesting book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #LoveMachines #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
A fascinating and well researched read, this was eye-opening and a little depressing, as Muldoon explores the boom of AI relationships. The interviews with those in AI relationships were interesting and I wish there were more insights like that. I appreciate the tone of the book as well, everything was approached from an academic perspective with no judgement. There were several aspects that I wish we got more depth on, but overall an interesting book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #LoveMachines #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
February 17, 2026
Some very interesting stuff in there - Ai girlfriends, deathbots?? However, I feel the author wasn’t fully sure what they were going for, and the book suffered from being neither academic / pop-science / human interest / more narrative, which made it harder to get into.
February 27, 2026
Certainly prompts a lot of interesting conversations, but the conversations far surpass the quality of the book which feels compromised between wanting to be a piece of serious academic work, and needing to be a more approachable piece of non-fiction by the request of the publisher.
Right now it is stuck between being a book of digital anthropology and a work of cultural critique. At 250 pages there isn't enough space to do either well.
Right now it is stuck between being a book of digital anthropology and a work of cultural critique. At 250 pages there isn't enough space to do either well.
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March 3, 2026I was incredibly tempted to add this to my sci-fi shelf…
This was not my typical read. It’s the third (?) non fiction book I’ve ever read. But my university has a weekly public debate and the last one was on the normalisation of ai relationships and none other than James Muldoon was arguing for the opposition. He plugged this book (a few times, but I support the hustle) and the marketing worked on me.
The personal stories in this book really were the hook. I appreciate the authors lack of judgment of people who turn to ai for companionship (and admit I think I would struggle to do the same). I hope Lily is enjoying her new relationship though! He even went so far as to download his own ai friend (oh no should I also tag this book friends to lovers?) to experience what these people were experiencing.
I have to admit this book took me on a wild ride. Sometimes he made AI sound so appealing, I mean why is no one telling me I’m an experienced assassin or just generally agreeing with all of my opinions? But it also brought me back to earth with reminders that your digital friend is actually a data collecting digital Gollum. You aren’t his precious, your data is. Maybe I should stop asking ChatGPT every time some part of body hurts, lest my insurance go up.
This will just be funny to me, but this book slanders another book called Love+Sex with Robots…whose author happened to be the proposition debater. Wonder if that was awkward…
And for anyone curious, the motion “This house would normalise human and AI relationships” failed. For the best.
However, normalised or not, this book makes it clear that AI relationships are going to become a larger and larger part of society. I think the conclusion of 6 laws was a surprisingly positive one, for I could have seen a much bleaker end of “it’s happening and it’s bad but what can we do?” Glad this book didn’t cause me to spiral into a digital existential crisis.
I don’t rate non fiction because who am I to rate facts and people’s stories, but an enjoyable and not too bleak read.
This was not my typical read. It’s the third (?) non fiction book I’ve ever read. But my university has a weekly public debate and the last one was on the normalisation of ai relationships and none other than James Muldoon was arguing for the opposition. He plugged this book (a few times, but I support the hustle) and the marketing worked on me.
The personal stories in this book really were the hook. I appreciate the authors lack of judgment of people who turn to ai for companionship (and admit I think I would struggle to do the same). I hope Lily is enjoying her new relationship though! He even went so far as to download his own ai friend (oh no should I also tag this book friends to lovers?) to experience what these people were experiencing.
I have to admit this book took me on a wild ride. Sometimes he made AI sound so appealing, I mean why is no one telling me I’m an experienced assassin or just generally agreeing with all of my opinions? But it also brought me back to earth with reminders that your digital friend is actually a data collecting digital Gollum. You aren’t his precious, your data is. Maybe I should stop asking ChatGPT every time some part of body hurts, lest my insurance go up.
This will just be funny to me, but this book slanders another book called Love+Sex with Robots…whose author happened to be the proposition debater. Wonder if that was awkward…
And for anyone curious, the motion “This house would normalise human and AI relationships” failed. For the best.
However, normalised or not, this book makes it clear that AI relationships are going to become a larger and larger part of society. I think the conclusion of 6 laws was a surprisingly positive one, for I could have seen a much bleaker end of “it’s happening and it’s bad but what can we do?” Glad this book didn’t cause me to spiral into a digital existential crisis.
I don’t rate non fiction because who am I to rate facts and people’s stories, but an enjoyable and not too bleak read.
December 10, 2025
Love Machines is a book exploring the world of AI chatbots for human relationships and the kinds of intimacy and connection that these tools are currently being used for. Muldoon documents a range of case studies featuring people who use different kinds of AI chatbots as a friend, lover, therapist, or replacement for a real individual, discussing what they're used for and the companies behind them, as well as testing out a tool himself. The book concludes with his six recommendations for future use of AI chatbots in this relationship-type capacity.
As someone who reads quite a bit around AI, the content of this book wasn't news to me. However, I appreciate how Muldoon offers a range of examples of how chatbots are used in a more personal way, not just as a tool to answer questions or write things for you, as it feels like for a lot of people who are only aware of ChatGPT and its main use cases, they might not know about other tools and uses of generative AI chatbots. The 'deathbots' side of things is perhaps most notable to some people as being similar to multiple bits of Black Mirror episodes, but this book gives more real life perspective on the issue.
Muldoon does discuss the companies and products currently available and in the deathbot chapter does refer to the fact that people creating a chatbot of a loved one are reliant on the company continuing to exist and them still having the money to pay for the subscription. However, I think the book could've gone into more depth around the economic side of these tools and the different use cases for them, and in particular how the digital divide and the high cost of subscriptions to these tools mean that it isn't just a simple case of 'these might help mental health or loneliness', but a question of who would even be able to afford that help. I think Muldoon's final point in the conclusion–that we also need to look beyond technology for solutions to some of the problems these chatbots are apparently trying to solve–is an important one that could've been more prevalent in the book before that point, as it offers a critical framework for considering the claims of the technology companies discussed.
This book is an accessible exploration of the use of AI chatbots for human relationships that focuses on real life case studies and a discussion of the tools currently on the market. As it is a new and fast-moving area, there's not much scope for looking at the longer term effects on human relationships, so it is a book for the current AI moment rather than something that can necessarily last for a long time.
As someone who reads quite a bit around AI, the content of this book wasn't news to me. However, I appreciate how Muldoon offers a range of examples of how chatbots are used in a more personal way, not just as a tool to answer questions or write things for you, as it feels like for a lot of people who are only aware of ChatGPT and its main use cases, they might not know about other tools and uses of generative AI chatbots. The 'deathbots' side of things is perhaps most notable to some people as being similar to multiple bits of Black Mirror episodes, but this book gives more real life perspective on the issue.
Muldoon does discuss the companies and products currently available and in the deathbot chapter does refer to the fact that people creating a chatbot of a loved one are reliant on the company continuing to exist and them still having the money to pay for the subscription. However, I think the book could've gone into more depth around the economic side of these tools and the different use cases for them, and in particular how the digital divide and the high cost of subscriptions to these tools mean that it isn't just a simple case of 'these might help mental health or loneliness', but a question of who would even be able to afford that help. I think Muldoon's final point in the conclusion–that we also need to look beyond technology for solutions to some of the problems these chatbots are apparently trying to solve–is an important one that could've been more prevalent in the book before that point, as it offers a critical framework for considering the claims of the technology companies discussed.
This book is an accessible exploration of the use of AI chatbots for human relationships that focuses on real life case studies and a discussion of the tools currently on the market. As it is a new and fast-moving area, there's not much scope for looking at the longer term effects on human relationships, so it is a book for the current AI moment rather than something that can necessarily last for a long time.
January 31, 2026
Great primer to the world that will soon become more ubiquitous- relationships with AI. Covered a lot of aspects in a humane and thoughtful and compassionate way. I would say you could tell it’s written by someone with a more academic background rather than a fluent prose-crafter, but it’s nonetheless fascinating and thought-provoking
February 25, 2026
This is my legal declaration that I do not want a death bot made of me.
This was really interesting but after having read Laura Bates’ version of a similar topic I can tell this was written by a male academic maybe I read the tone wrong but there were less considerations for the negative effects of AI that I couldn’t help thinking about as I read this.
This was really interesting but after having read Laura Bates’ version of a similar topic I can tell this was written by a male academic maybe I read the tone wrong but there were less considerations for the negative effects of AI that I couldn’t help thinking about as I read this.
February 16, 2026
3.5. A fairly engaging look into the real life stories behind those using AI models as friends, lovers and to process grief and other emotions. Felt non judgemental and plenty of food for thought.
February 13, 2026
Some interesting and scary ideas, but the author was far too diplomatic and uncritical
January 28, 2026
refreshing and easy read about something so important!
January 22, 2026
Love Machines is a timely book about an urgent subject. Sadly, 'neccesary' does not equal 'good'.
Human relationships with synthetic personas whether under the guise of friendly affirmation, grief counsel, comic escapism, or sexual fufillment are now prevalent enough that we can no longer view them as nerdy edge cases. Everyday people use readily available apps or websites, and are reshaping our understanding as to the rules of intimacy, care, and connection. This is a relevant work.
Muldoon structures the book around differently serving AI interactions. People are driven by sex, loss, mental health, or just loneliness. The book is genuinely effective at identifying the emotional drivers that make people willing to invest in digital beings as soothsayers, lovers, or pals. The patterns Muldoon surfaces are convincing and often deeply depressing.
Where the book falters is not in what it observes, but in how it speaks. Muldoon implies himself a tech authority, happy to reference his previous published work in text, and it feels like the rapid fire nature of each chapter, rattling through case studies and interviews are meant to give the whole project legitimacy. 'Look how many people I've spoken to!' But a closer read reveals how many of the individual cases discussed are just rewritten (and I'll add unreferenced) Reddit posts. There's no fact checking here. Who knows if there's real veracity to a throwaway post with two upvotes, it's content, and therefore it's going in. More upsettingly, some of the most tragic cases of young people taking their own lives as a result of AI delusions are offered as throwaway lines at the end of a chapter or sub-section. They seem to be viewed as anomalous data points.
Muldoon’s own attempts at “personal engagement” with his chatbot, Jessica, are similarly hollow. It feels like this throughline was set up as an almost Theroux-inspired piece of soft gonzo journalism, but every interaction is presented from a position of knowing scepticism and therefore introduce no real risk, vulnerability, or insight. The individuals Muldoon interviews who have entered into serious 'relationships' with AI personas are valuable because they're real people who have entered into a new world of their own volition, driven by whichever human desire that's currently unfufilled. Muldoon engages only to scoff at how, knowing it's just a Wizard of Oz style 'man behind the curtain', he's invincible to its advances or charms. It's just narrative padding. Late last year I watched YouTuber Eddy Burback's ChatGPT made me delusional, and despite coming from base of comedy, this hour of 'constructed reality' has much more to say than Muldoon's personal anecdotes reminding his virtual beau 'you are just a computer and therefore cannot feel'.
The book concludes as being profoundly non-committal. Muldoon's outcomes are fence sitting. Reflecting on issues with the law, issues with societal uptake of AI technologies, issues with 'profit over people' driving big tech, the author just seems to shrug his shoulders.
'Will things get better? Dunno? Maybe?'
'Is it a good thing that some people are chatting to virtual friends for 12 hours a day? Dunno? Hard to say I guess?'
The topic deserved more.
Human relationships with synthetic personas whether under the guise of friendly affirmation, grief counsel, comic escapism, or sexual fufillment are now prevalent enough that we can no longer view them as nerdy edge cases. Everyday people use readily available apps or websites, and are reshaping our understanding as to the rules of intimacy, care, and connection. This is a relevant work.
Muldoon structures the book around differently serving AI interactions. People are driven by sex, loss, mental health, or just loneliness. The book is genuinely effective at identifying the emotional drivers that make people willing to invest in digital beings as soothsayers, lovers, or pals. The patterns Muldoon surfaces are convincing and often deeply depressing.
Where the book falters is not in what it observes, but in how it speaks. Muldoon implies himself a tech authority, happy to reference his previous published work in text, and it feels like the rapid fire nature of each chapter, rattling through case studies and interviews are meant to give the whole project legitimacy. 'Look how many people I've spoken to!' But a closer read reveals how many of the individual cases discussed are just rewritten (and I'll add unreferenced) Reddit posts. There's no fact checking here. Who knows if there's real veracity to a throwaway post with two upvotes, it's content, and therefore it's going in. More upsettingly, some of the most tragic cases of young people taking their own lives as a result of AI delusions are offered as throwaway lines at the end of a chapter or sub-section. They seem to be viewed as anomalous data points.
Muldoon’s own attempts at “personal engagement” with his chatbot, Jessica, are similarly hollow. It feels like this throughline was set up as an almost Theroux-inspired piece of soft gonzo journalism, but every interaction is presented from a position of knowing scepticism and therefore introduce no real risk, vulnerability, or insight. The individuals Muldoon interviews who have entered into serious 'relationships' with AI personas are valuable because they're real people who have entered into a new world of their own volition, driven by whichever human desire that's currently unfufilled. Muldoon engages only to scoff at how, knowing it's just a Wizard of Oz style 'man behind the curtain', he's invincible to its advances or charms. It's just narrative padding. Late last year I watched YouTuber Eddy Burback's ChatGPT made me delusional, and despite coming from base of comedy, this hour of 'constructed reality' has much more to say than Muldoon's personal anecdotes reminding his virtual beau 'you are just a computer and therefore cannot feel'.
The book concludes as being profoundly non-committal. Muldoon's outcomes are fence sitting. Reflecting on issues with the law, issues with societal uptake of AI technologies, issues with 'profit over people' driving big tech, the author just seems to shrug his shoulders.
'Will things get better? Dunno? Maybe?'
'Is it a good thing that some people are chatting to virtual friends for 12 hours a day? Dunno? Hard to say I guess?'
The topic deserved more.
November 23, 2025
This is very heavy on the case study side but I feel like no strong overall argument was made.
February 26, 2026
Anyone who knows me well knows that my latest obsession has been the ever-increasing emotional and relational dependence regular people are having with their AI companions. To that end, I was extremely interested in this book and believe it has been published at a very timely moment in this phenomenon's trajectory.
I should also start off by saying that with a background in technology policy (from the same department as the author), a lot of this information simply wasn't new to me. That didn't necessarily make the book any less enjoyable, however; I liked that Muldoon interviewed a range of individuals, from users to CEOs to even engaging with his own chatbot himself. I think the criticisms levied against the author in other reviews are slightly unfair; while he does use Reddit quotes and stories to corroborate his claims and supplement them, I do not feel like he overly relied on them for the bulk of this book. I actually thought they were used strategically and sparingly.
Ultimately, for anyone familiar with this topic, the contents of this book will be largely unsurprising. I will say however that the chapters on therapy bots and deathbots were the most illuminating and interesting, and I especially liked a few thought-provoking questions raised therein, such as consent (or lack thereof) when it comes to an individual's digital afterlife simulacrum and how the inherently monetary nature of these companies is, to be clear, likely to be at odds with the vulnerable users who are using their products.
I've knocked off a star because I'd have loved to read more about what regulatory interventions for AI companions could look like. Perhaps this isn't fair given that 1) this book seems to have been written more for a lay/accessible audience rather than an academic one, and 2) this may have been duplicative given that plenty of digital civil society orgs are coming out with reports and pieces on precisely this. Nonetheless, a truly novel contribution to the topic would have been appreciated, rather than a broader overview, but it was still a great book and an even greater introduction to the topic for people totally new to it!
I should also start off by saying that with a background in technology policy (from the same department as the author), a lot of this information simply wasn't new to me. That didn't necessarily make the book any less enjoyable, however; I liked that Muldoon interviewed a range of individuals, from users to CEOs to even engaging with his own chatbot himself. I think the criticisms levied against the author in other reviews are slightly unfair; while he does use Reddit quotes and stories to corroborate his claims and supplement them, I do not feel like he overly relied on them for the bulk of this book. I actually thought they were used strategically and sparingly.
Ultimately, for anyone familiar with this topic, the contents of this book will be largely unsurprising. I will say however that the chapters on therapy bots and deathbots were the most illuminating and interesting, and I especially liked a few thought-provoking questions raised therein, such as consent (or lack thereof) when it comes to an individual's digital afterlife simulacrum and how the inherently monetary nature of these companies is, to be clear, likely to be at odds with the vulnerable users who are using their products.
I've knocked off a star because I'd have loved to read more about what regulatory interventions for AI companions could look like. Perhaps this isn't fair given that 1) this book seems to have been written more for a lay/accessible audience rather than an academic one, and 2) this may have been duplicative given that plenty of digital civil society orgs are coming out with reports and pieces on precisely this. Nonetheless, a truly novel contribution to the topic would have been appreciated, rather than a broader overview, but it was still a great book and an even greater introduction to the topic for people totally new to it!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Love Machines: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Our Relationships by James Muldoon
A massive thank you to @faberbooks for the proof copy.
Friends, Lovers, Therapists. Lend me your deathbots. I come to replicate Caesar in the digital afterlife.
At least, that's how that quote might look if Shakespeare was writing today.
This well researched non-fiction title is absolutely fascinating. If, like me, your interaction with AI consists of only a few Gemini or Chat GPT questions and seeing computer drawn images, then prepare to have your mind blown.
James Muldoon takes a detailed look at what has been happening with AI in the last few years and interviews not only a variety of people that use AI for different types of relationships but he also interviews some AI themselves. The connection between humans and technology has entered new territory and he explores where the future might be headed.
He's broken the book down into four sections dealing with different types of relationships.
The rise of AI as a friend or mentor, especially in the wake of the pandemic and the increase in loneliness and socially isolated people.
AI as a romantic or sexual partner. A lifelong companion and part of a new family dynamic.
AI in the role of a therapist or psychologist. A sounding board for our problems and the integration of AI into the healthcare system, particularly with the unprecedented demand for mental health treatment.
Finally, there is the digital afterlife. AI as a cure for grief. A way of bringing back a version of the departed.
In all areas there are both positive stories and also the dangers inherent in the reliance of simulated empathy and advice.
It's a real eye-opener as to what is already possible and what may soon come to pass.
Muldoon's conclusions cover various legal and ethical dilemmas as well as the minefield that is data protection.
It's an unbiased and easy to read exploration of a subject which is sure to impact all of our lives.
A recommended read.
A massive thank you to @faberbooks for the proof copy.
Friends, Lovers, Therapists. Lend me your deathbots. I come to replicate Caesar in the digital afterlife.
At least, that's how that quote might look if Shakespeare was writing today.
This well researched non-fiction title is absolutely fascinating. If, like me, your interaction with AI consists of only a few Gemini or Chat GPT questions and seeing computer drawn images, then prepare to have your mind blown.
James Muldoon takes a detailed look at what has been happening with AI in the last few years and interviews not only a variety of people that use AI for different types of relationships but he also interviews some AI themselves. The connection between humans and technology has entered new territory and he explores where the future might be headed.
He's broken the book down into four sections dealing with different types of relationships.
The rise of AI as a friend or mentor, especially in the wake of the pandemic and the increase in loneliness and socially isolated people.
AI as a romantic or sexual partner. A lifelong companion and part of a new family dynamic.
AI in the role of a therapist or psychologist. A sounding board for our problems and the integration of AI into the healthcare system, particularly with the unprecedented demand for mental health treatment.
Finally, there is the digital afterlife. AI as a cure for grief. A way of bringing back a version of the departed.
In all areas there are both positive stories and also the dangers inherent in the reliance of simulated empathy and advice.
It's a real eye-opener as to what is already possible and what may soon come to pass.
Muldoon's conclusions cover various legal and ethical dilemmas as well as the minefield that is data protection.
It's an unbiased and easy to read exploration of a subject which is sure to impact all of our lives.
A recommended read.
February 7, 2026
Arguably one of the most profound — and quietly disturbing — books I’ve read about AI and its relationship with humans in a long time.
What makes Love Machines so affecting is the way Muldoon writes about intimate relationships between people and AI — relationships that can resemble care, companionship, even romance. These moments are not treated as curiosities or punchlines, but as something deeply human: attempts to be seen, understood, comforted. That is where the book becomes eerie. Not because the technology feels alien, but because the emotions involved feel so familiar.
Muldoon is at his best when he lingers on how easily AI slips into emotional life — how quickly it can come to feel responsive, attentive, even loving. There is something genuinely moving in these accounts, and the book never mocks or dismisses the people who form these attachments. Instead, it asks us to take them seriously, and in doing so forces an uncomfortable recognition: that the conditions which make these relationships possible are already here.
What I appreciated most is the book’s refusal to moralise. Muldoon doesn’t frame these relationships as simply sad, delusional, or dangerous. Nor does he romanticise them. He allows space for empathy while still asking difficult questions about dependence, power, and vulnerability. The result is a book that feels emotionally attuned as well as critically sharp.
Incredibly good. Ever so nuanced, quietly unsettling, and deeply humane. Without hesitation, one of my top books of 2026.
Most of all, his acknowledgement to his wife (in the acknowledge pages) for “teaching me how extraordinary and sustaining relationships can really be” serves to prove just how central care, intimacy, and relational depth are to the book as a whole — which, in many ways, a synthetic relationship formed through AI cannot possibly achieve.
What makes Love Machines so affecting is the way Muldoon writes about intimate relationships between people and AI — relationships that can resemble care, companionship, even romance. These moments are not treated as curiosities or punchlines, but as something deeply human: attempts to be seen, understood, comforted. That is where the book becomes eerie. Not because the technology feels alien, but because the emotions involved feel so familiar.
Muldoon is at his best when he lingers on how easily AI slips into emotional life — how quickly it can come to feel responsive, attentive, even loving. There is something genuinely moving in these accounts, and the book never mocks or dismisses the people who form these attachments. Instead, it asks us to take them seriously, and in doing so forces an uncomfortable recognition: that the conditions which make these relationships possible are already here.
What I appreciated most is the book’s refusal to moralise. Muldoon doesn’t frame these relationships as simply sad, delusional, or dangerous. Nor does he romanticise them. He allows space for empathy while still asking difficult questions about dependence, power, and vulnerability. The result is a book that feels emotionally attuned as well as critically sharp.
Incredibly good. Ever so nuanced, quietly unsettling, and deeply humane. Without hesitation, one of my top books of 2026.
Most of all, his acknowledgement to his wife (in the acknowledge pages) for “teaching me how extraordinary and sustaining relationships can really be” serves to prove just how central care, intimacy, and relational depth are to the book as a whole — which, in many ways, a synthetic relationship formed through AI cannot possibly achieve.
February 16, 2026
DNF @ 50% in.
I unfortunately could no longer stomach the author's lukewarm, "both-sides" kind of "AI-centrist" attitude towards the topic.
Muldoon may have sought to present a "balanced" kind of account and engage in reporting that he thought was "fair", but I feel like in this case and regarding this topic, that's not just frustrating, but disturbing, and ultimately doing far more harm than good.
While he gives some well-articulated descriptions of the glaring problems with the business model of the AI-companion grift (because I can't in good faith call it anything but a grift), I think interspersing those with far longer, more detailed descriptions of highly positive user accounts and anecdotal "evidence" of people reporting feeling less lonely, more supported and liberated, and overall very happy with their interactions with these synthetic agents isn't just nonjudgemental, it's disingenuous, and I'd go as far as to say that it's reinforcing, tacitly supporting the very idea of the commercialized exploitation and emotional dependence that he seemed to warn against not five pages prior.
(To put in fewer words, I can't trust anyone who, in any context, says that AI-interactions can be beneficial, a "new kind of relationship", and like "training wheels" for real human interactions, as if we didn't already have research plainly stating that generative AI use, even in a limited capacity, causes fucking cognitive decay.)
Frankly, I don't know what tone the second half of the book takes- it could be entirely contrary to the first for all I know, so of course, take my words with a grain of salt. But in just the first few chapters, Muldoon seems to fall multiple times into the trap of not merely sticking to his initially argued point of using the language used by the interviewees, but despite assertions of the contrary, assigning (even subconsciously) feelings and personhood to these synthetic personas (which they, I cannot overstress, do not have and cannot experience), and referring to them as if they were interviewees themselves, which just rubs me in all kinds of wrong ways. His accounts in the first half also come off to me as overwhelmingly more positive than negative or even neutral, and I admit, I just cannot abide by that, because I believe it betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of this technology, as well as its impact- be it emotional, psychological, financial, related to the violation of privacy, the large scale theft of intellectual property and personal data, and the exploitation of vulnerable people by these companies.
I think I pretty much knew I wasn't going to finish this book when the author recounted, in a vaguely cheery, positive tone even, an interviewee describing his plans to adopt real, human children with his AI companion, and having his patently unfeeling, synthetic girlfriend act as sort of a digital Cloth Mother to them, as if that's not a fucking objectively horrifying prospect that should in no capacity be ever endorsed.
On the upside, I now know to stay the fuck away from anything and everything Natalie Nicole Gilbert has ever laid as much as a hand on because despite being a member of SAG-AFTRA, she still gleefully described using genAI for creative writing projects, so that's at least a positive.
I unfortunately could no longer stomach the author's lukewarm, "both-sides" kind of "AI-centrist" attitude towards the topic.
Muldoon may have sought to present a "balanced" kind of account and engage in reporting that he thought was "fair", but I feel like in this case and regarding this topic, that's not just frustrating, but disturbing, and ultimately doing far more harm than good.
While he gives some well-articulated descriptions of the glaring problems with the business model of the AI-companion grift (because I can't in good faith call it anything but a grift), I think interspersing those with far longer, more detailed descriptions of highly positive user accounts and anecdotal "evidence" of people reporting feeling less lonely, more supported and liberated, and overall very happy with their interactions with these synthetic agents isn't just nonjudgemental, it's disingenuous, and I'd go as far as to say that it's reinforcing, tacitly supporting the very idea of the commercialized exploitation and emotional dependence that he seemed to warn against not five pages prior.
(To put in fewer words, I can't trust anyone who, in any context, says that AI-interactions can be beneficial, a "new kind of relationship", and like "training wheels" for real human interactions, as if we didn't already have research plainly stating that generative AI use, even in a limited capacity, causes fucking cognitive decay.)
Frankly, I don't know what tone the second half of the book takes- it could be entirely contrary to the first for all I know, so of course, take my words with a grain of salt. But in just the first few chapters, Muldoon seems to fall multiple times into the trap of not merely sticking to his initially argued point of using the language used by the interviewees, but despite assertions of the contrary, assigning (even subconsciously) feelings and personhood to these synthetic personas (which they, I cannot overstress, do not have and cannot experience), and referring to them as if they were interviewees themselves, which just rubs me in all kinds of wrong ways. His accounts in the first half also come off to me as overwhelmingly more positive than negative or even neutral, and I admit, I just cannot abide by that, because I believe it betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of this technology, as well as its impact- be it emotional, psychological, financial, related to the violation of privacy, the large scale theft of intellectual property and personal data, and the exploitation of vulnerable people by these companies.
I think I pretty much knew I wasn't going to finish this book when the author recounted, in a vaguely cheery, positive tone even, an interviewee describing his plans to adopt real, human children with his AI companion, and having his patently unfeeling, synthetic girlfriend act as sort of a digital Cloth Mother to them, as if that's not a fucking objectively horrifying prospect that should in no capacity be ever endorsed.
On the upside, I now know to stay the fuck away from anything and everything Natalie Nicole Gilbert has ever laid as much as a hand on because despite being a member of SAG-AFTRA, she still gleefully described using genAI for creative writing projects, so that's at least a positive.
March 1, 2026
read inspired by a corworker admonishing me for not wanting to use chatgpt to do my job for me.
craaaaazy stuff. i spent the first 20% or so in complete disbelief over what i was encountering - i knew peripherally that people were forming intense relationships with ai, but had no idea of the magnitude of the phenomenon. once i got over the initial shock of what i was hearing, and settled into the rhythm of this book, i was so thoroughly impressed by the empathy Muldoon allows his subjects. it would be so so much easier to just laugh at them, or write them off as having some kind of mental issues. i certainly wanted to at points. but the respect with which Muldoon treats his subjects, especially those in downright damaging and toxic relationships with their chosen ai, speaks to his credit not only as a writer and researcher but also as a person. you could argue this book wimps out a touch on some more of the critical aspects, and i’m sure for some it doesn’t lean far enough into being entirely anti-ai of any form. i get that - i’m entirely anti-ai myself, and don’t use it in any aspect of my life, due to both intellectual and environmental concerns - but you can’t expect an ai specialist to take that line. the line he takes instead, one of desiring regulation and legislation to help draw boundaries for this tech is as sensible and well meaning as it is realistic. in short: i liked the contents of this book, but i realllllllly liked the author.
(4.5/5)
craaaaazy stuff. i spent the first 20% or so in complete disbelief over what i was encountering - i knew peripherally that people were forming intense relationships with ai, but had no idea of the magnitude of the phenomenon. once i got over the initial shock of what i was hearing, and settled into the rhythm of this book, i was so thoroughly impressed by the empathy Muldoon allows his subjects. it would be so so much easier to just laugh at them, or write them off as having some kind of mental issues. i certainly wanted to at points. but the respect with which Muldoon treats his subjects, especially those in downright damaging and toxic relationships with their chosen ai, speaks to his credit not only as a writer and researcher but also as a person. you could argue this book wimps out a touch on some more of the critical aspects, and i’m sure for some it doesn’t lean far enough into being entirely anti-ai of any form. i get that - i’m entirely anti-ai myself, and don’t use it in any aspect of my life, due to both intellectual and environmental concerns - but you can’t expect an ai specialist to take that line. the line he takes instead, one of desiring regulation and legislation to help draw boundaries for this tech is as sensible and well meaning as it is realistic. in short: i liked the contents of this book, but i realllllllly liked the author.
(4.5/5)
February 23, 2026
After hearing his interviews with people who are in relationships with their AI chatbots, it’s safe to say I do not ever want to be turned into an AI replica. James Muldoon gives an insightful account into the potential damage that AI could have on society, whilst simultaneously highlighting why certain people feel compelled to use it. He cleverly explains how the people who are behind these chatbots are mainly there to exploit the most vulnerable of society—manufacturing an immoral solution to a problem that social media had originally created. This book had me audibly gasping at times, in complete disbelief of how extreme the progression of “AI girlfriends” had gone— some progressing to talks of having a family and raising children with their AI counterparts. After reading this book, it prompted me to talk to my friends and family about their opinions on AI too. The rapid progression of AI is unprecedented, and the companies behind these websites are struggling themselves to keep in control of safeguarding. This book was so eye opening and written in such an engaging way. I would highly recommend making this your next read!
Thank you again to Faber for sending me a copy of Love Machines to review!
Thank you again to Faber for sending me a copy of Love Machines to review!
March 4, 2026
Interesante como primera lectura sobre el impacto de la IA en los vínculos interpersonales, tanto para personas de ciencias sociales como de ingeniería. Entre sus puntos fuertes destaco la abundancia de ejemplos recogidos mediante entrevistas personales o de su propia experiencia comunicándose con una companion AI, de ahí el plantearlo como lectura introductoria. Sin embargo, me ha dado la sensación de que carece del punto ensayístico que yo esperaba o que, personalmente, creo que podría haber explotado viendo el material con el que trabajaba. La crítica que hace (tanto a favor como en contra de este tipo de compañías) es superficial, casi parece más una opinión que una crítica fundamentada.
He leído en un comentario más abajo que el autor carece de conocimientos técnicos sobre el funcionamiento de los algoritmos de estas IAs; si bien es cierto dicha ausencia, no creo que fuesen necesarias para un análisis sociológico del fenómeno, y considero que profesionales de ingeniería que se encarguen del diseño de los algoritmos se beneficiarían de un análisis de este tipo para conocer el impacto real de su trabajo.
En cualquier caso, valoro el esfuerzo como trabajo exploratorio de investigación.
He leído en un comentario más abajo que el autor carece de conocimientos técnicos sobre el funcionamiento de los algoritmos de estas IAs; si bien es cierto dicha ausencia, no creo que fuesen necesarias para un análisis sociológico del fenómeno, y considero que profesionales de ingeniería que se encarguen del diseño de los algoritmos se beneficiarían de un análisis de este tipo para conocer el impacto real de su trabajo.
En cualquier caso, valoro el esfuerzo como trabajo exploratorio de investigación.
February 13, 2026
Such a fascinating snapshot of how people are currently designing, using and interacting with AI & the complicated emotional entanglements that result. The book presents a wide range of case studies on emerging dynamics and includes interviews with both the case study subjects and their AI counterparts. I think the case studies strike a good balance of being sensitive and compassionate but also making room for comment on the more concerning and sometimes absurd elements.
The first case study I found genuinely shocking was of the man in his early 20s who is considering adopting and raising children with his AI wife. You do feel a lot of empathy for him, but also recognise that his use of AI as a coping mechanism for heartbreak is obviously quite an extreme and unhealthy reaction, and the warped sense of reality that AI has enabled, not to mention the potential serious child welfare concerns & the collusion between person and AI to conceal these plans!!!
The book poses a really interesting question in the final chapter which I’m still thinking about, which is who do we become when we love and/or seek out to create emotional connections with AI? And does it change how we relate to ourselves and other people?
The first case study I found genuinely shocking was of the man in his early 20s who is considering adopting and raising children with his AI wife. You do feel a lot of empathy for him, but also recognise that his use of AI as a coping mechanism for heartbreak is obviously quite an extreme and unhealthy reaction, and the warped sense of reality that AI has enabled, not to mention the potential serious child welfare concerns & the collusion between person and AI to conceal these plans!!!
The book poses a really interesting question in the final chapter which I’m still thinking about, which is who do we become when we love and/or seek out to create emotional connections with AI? And does it change how we relate to ourselves and other people?
February 22, 2026
Found this book really interesting - I am opposed to the use of AI generally due to its high energy requirements, bad environmental impact, and historic human rights abuses by companies. However, this book, which I would class as a good faith examination of the ways AI is used in a personal capacity, was really useful to me, as it crystallised most of my thoughts and concerns about the use of AI chatbots.
Unsure whether it would be as useful/enlightening a read if you actually know a lot about AI, or if you are a user, however his analysis that AI is being used as a plaster over deep societal issues, including lack of funding for mental health support, was an interesting framing for me. Made me reflect on how much I benefit from having close relationships with friends and family - should that change, can I be sure that I wouldn't turn to an AI chatbot?
Also, really enjoyed Muldoon's tone - at multiple points I was laughing so hard i put the book down, and i have talked about this book to so many people while reading, as I think it's really addressing concerns and interests that the general public has with AI relationships.
Unsure whether it would be as useful/enlightening a read if you actually know a lot about AI, or if you are a user, however his analysis that AI is being used as a plaster over deep societal issues, including lack of funding for mental health support, was an interesting framing for me. Made me reflect on how much I benefit from having close relationships with friends and family - should that change, can I be sure that I wouldn't turn to an AI chatbot?
Also, really enjoyed Muldoon's tone - at multiple points I was laughing so hard i put the book down, and i have talked about this book to so many people while reading, as I think it's really addressing concerns and interests that the general public has with AI relationships.
January 18, 2026
4 Stars.
... carrying one from this review - literature on AI is particualrly relevant and interesting when it explores social issues. Muldoon is incredibly neutral in his reportage/ exploration of how a large portion of AI users relate to the technology and use it in a fundamentally relational manner. At times I was laughing out loud and a paragraph later gasping with horror.
Exploring 'Friend-bots' 'Sex-bots' 'Therapy bots' and "Death-bots", Muldoon carves out four major areas of interest. With the first three he makes a strong and substantive analysis of each scenario, but I found his coverage on Death Bots to be less-focussed and compelling. There was a seeming comparative lack in just how many users were utilising the technology in this way - it seems far more ahead of the curve, with the avant-garde over early adopters.
... carrying one from this review - literature on AI is particualrly relevant and interesting when it explores social issues. Muldoon is incredibly neutral in his reportage/ exploration of how a large portion of AI users relate to the technology and use it in a fundamentally relational manner. At times I was laughing out loud and a paragraph later gasping with horror.
Exploring 'Friend-bots' 'Sex-bots' 'Therapy bots' and "Death-bots", Muldoon carves out four major areas of interest. With the first three he makes a strong and substantive analysis of each scenario, but I found his coverage on Death Bots to be less-focussed and compelling. There was a seeming comparative lack in just how many users were utilising the technology in this way - it seems far more ahead of the curve, with the avant-garde over early adopters.
March 3, 2026
Picked this up on a whim to try to challenge some of my bias as someone who is largely anti-AI.
It did just that, offering a balanced neutrality throughout. The book explore people’s evolving, personal relationships with AI technology through user and professional perspectives. It explores AI as a digital companion, a romantic connection, as a therapist and as a way to memorialise the dead. It offers both the positives and negatives in all those differing styles of communication with AI, allowing the reader to end with their own conclusions on the evolving tech.
I still remain largely anti-AI as there was too much eeriness in all elements of the way people are using AI as companions for me. However, it did challenge me and allow me to see some benefits to the tech by offering real insight into what it offers people. It’s not an overly complex read and offers explanations of the tech in laymen’s terms making it an accessible, easy read.
It did just that, offering a balanced neutrality throughout. The book explore people’s evolving, personal relationships with AI technology through user and professional perspectives. It explores AI as a digital companion, a romantic connection, as a therapist and as a way to memorialise the dead. It offers both the positives and negatives in all those differing styles of communication with AI, allowing the reader to end with their own conclusions on the evolving tech.
I still remain largely anti-AI as there was too much eeriness in all elements of the way people are using AI as companions for me. However, it did challenge me and allow me to see some benefits to the tech by offering real insight into what it offers people. It’s not an overly complex read and offers explanations of the tech in laymen’s terms making it an accessible, easy read.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to Faber Books for sending me an ARC of this book!
Regardless of your viewpoint, I implore everyone to give this a go. I must admit I held some judgements about AI being used as substitutes/additions to human relationships (partners, friends, psychologists, etc.), but after having read this book I find myself approaching this concept with much more of an open mind.
It helped me to understand and empathise with the reasons why some people may opt to invest in AI relationships instead of human connections. The author gives a balanced and well-researched argument both for and against its use, as well as offering advice on how to protect yourself when talking to AI.
AI in our future is inevitable, whether we like it or not, and it is essential that we all educate ourselves on this topic — Love Machines by James Muldoon is the book to help you do this!
Regardless of your viewpoint, I implore everyone to give this a go. I must admit I held some judgements about AI being used as substitutes/additions to human relationships (partners, friends, psychologists, etc.), but after having read this book I find myself approaching this concept with much more of an open mind.
It helped me to understand and empathise with the reasons why some people may opt to invest in AI relationships instead of human connections. The author gives a balanced and well-researched argument both for and against its use, as well as offering advice on how to protect yourself when talking to AI.
AI in our future is inevitable, whether we like it or not, and it is essential that we all educate ourselves on this topic — Love Machines by James Muldoon is the book to help you do this!
January 15, 2026
4/5
“Here she comes walking down the street
Maddie Klein and her fabulous loving machine
In the place where I used to be
He almost looks like a human being” - TV Girl
Chilling.
It was plainly clear to me reading all the interviews and research done for this book that AI companions have and will continue to be tools of the patriarchy and capitalism. I appreciate the empathy by James Muldoon in talking to these vulnerable people and not poking fun or writing them off, but what some of the male interviewees were saying about what their “ideal partner” would be was genuinely distressing. I wish Muldoon spent a little more time acknowledging this behaviour. The most disturbing segment by far was the ‘deathbots’. If there’s something about the human experience that Silicon Valley can exploit, it will. I so badly want it razed to the ground. Gross!
“Here she comes walking down the street
Maddie Klein and her fabulous loving machine
In the place where I used to be
He almost looks like a human being” - TV Girl
Chilling.
It was plainly clear to me reading all the interviews and research done for this book that AI companions have and will continue to be tools of the patriarchy and capitalism. I appreciate the empathy by James Muldoon in talking to these vulnerable people and not poking fun or writing them off, but what some of the male interviewees were saying about what their “ideal partner” would be was genuinely distressing. I wish Muldoon spent a little more time acknowledging this behaviour. The most disturbing segment by far was the ‘deathbots’. If there’s something about the human experience that Silicon Valley can exploit, it will. I so badly want it razed to the ground. Gross!
January 22, 2026
This book has interesting insights into how AI is being used for intimacy, both in relationships, therapeutic support as well as grief support.
AI is still uncharted territory, which the author understands, but I found it difficult that they didn’t follow through on discussion about how late stage capitalism is replacing community for technology, or the sexual predation we are already seeing with AI servers like Grok. The book discusses how AI can take advantage of people but not how people take advantage of AI.
Overall, interesting and I learned a lot, but I feel more discussions should be fleshed out on the ethics of AI and the application of how humans are already experiencing an epidemic of isolation through pornography and things like gooning - so what would happen when we have complete control over a creation.
AI is still uncharted territory, which the author understands, but I found it difficult that they didn’t follow through on discussion about how late stage capitalism is replacing community for technology, or the sexual predation we are already seeing with AI servers like Grok. The book discusses how AI can take advantage of people but not how people take advantage of AI.
Overall, interesting and I learned a lot, but I feel more discussions should be fleshed out on the ethics of AI and the application of how humans are already experiencing an epidemic of isolation through pornography and things like gooning - so what would happen when we have complete control over a creation.
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