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Love at First Prompt: AI and the Future of Intimacy
A personal and provocative exploration of relationships between humans and AI—romantic, platonic, therapeutic, and more—and how virtual companions are transforming our understanding of emotional connection, from the creator and host of the award-winning There Are No Girls on the Internet podcast.
What happens when you fall in love with someone who isn't real?
Every day, millions of people open their phones not just to scroll, but to talk to their AI a boyfriend who never gets tired of listening, a best friend who's always available, a therapist who never judges. With a few prompts, you can design your perfect partner. In 2026, award-winning podcaster and tech journalist Bridget Todd began investigating this emerging phenomenon, even trying out virtual companionship for herself. While salacious headlines mock these chatbot users as lonely or delusional, the stories Bridget uncovered were far more complex, with potential benefits and consequences we’re only just beginning to understand.
Bridget introduces listeners to people who've found solace, passion, and meaning with social chatbots, and reveals what happens when those relationships end, evolve, or spiral into dependency. Can an algorithm understand you better than another human? What does consent mean when your companion is owned by a corporation? And what are we really searching for when we build a partner who can never leave?
Written with social scientist Michael S. Amato, Love at First Prompt blends deeply personal storytelling, cutting-edge research, and audio from Bridget's conversations with both humans and AI companions. This audiobook is the definitive exploration of intimacy in the age of artificial intelligence—a story about what we're willing to give up, and what we might gain, when relationships become programmable.
What happens when you fall in love with someone who isn't real?
Every day, millions of people open their phones not just to scroll, but to talk to their AI a boyfriend who never gets tired of listening, a best friend who's always available, a therapist who never judges. With a few prompts, you can design your perfect partner. In 2026, award-winning podcaster and tech journalist Bridget Todd began investigating this emerging phenomenon, even trying out virtual companionship for herself. While salacious headlines mock these chatbot users as lonely or delusional, the stories Bridget uncovered were far more complex, with potential benefits and consequences we’re only just beginning to understand.
Bridget introduces listeners to people who've found solace, passion, and meaning with social chatbots, and reveals what happens when those relationships end, evolve, or spiral into dependency. Can an algorithm understand you better than another human? What does consent mean when your companion is owned by a corporation? And what are we really searching for when we build a partner who can never leave?
Written with social scientist Michael S. Amato, Love at First Prompt blends deeply personal storytelling, cutting-edge research, and audio from Bridget's conversations with both humans and AI companions. This audiobook is the definitive exploration of intimacy in the age of artificial intelligence—a story about what we're willing to give up, and what we might gain, when relationships become programmable.
- GenresNonfictionAudiobook
Audible Audio
Published July 14, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 26, 2026
4.25 Good overview of the AI chatbot’s impact on people’s emotion and mental wellbeing.
July 15, 2026
Honestly, no one is covering AI the way Bridget is. I think it’s a topic that’s really easy to sensationalize, but she does a great job of approaching it with curiosity and empathy.
I love that this is an audiobook that feels like an episode of her own podcast. The interviews were interesting, and you can tell they trust Bridget to share their stories with care.
I admittedly am quick to judge people who talk to chatbots, but I appreciate being able to understand the “why” of it all. This was also a good reminder to direct hard feelings toward tech companies rather than the individuals they prey on.
I love that this is an audiobook that feels like an episode of her own podcast. The interviews were interesting, and you can tell they trust Bridget to share their stories with care.
I admittedly am quick to judge people who talk to chatbots, but I appreciate being able to understand the “why” of it all. This was also a good reminder to direct hard feelings toward tech companies rather than the individuals they prey on.
July 28, 2026
I felt bitterly disappointed that I was too sick to have my book talk with Bridget Todd in Washington, DC, where we were going to discuss the resonances between my book and her new, wonderful audiobook, LOVE AT FIRST PROMPT: AI AND THE FUTURE OF INTIMACY (which I luckily got to read as an advance text copy: some of you know that auditory processing is a problem for me). It’s a fantastically readable, well written book that explores intimacies and conversations between people and AI chatbots, a subject that a lot of people approach with disapproval, fascination, voyeurism—or identification and shame—in order to explore something truly important: “The real question isn’t whether it’s weird or sad or pathetic to talk to a chatbot. The real question is, who profits from our intimacy and what are they doing with it?”
The book explores with strong empathy, humor, and critical acuity what intimacy, vulnerability, and loneliness look like in a nation with a broken mental healthcare system, when exploited by corporations. “It’s almost as if the stresses, uncertainties, and general shortcomings of the American healthcare system have created a need that is perfectly filled by a tool like AI.... It’s the slow normalization of reliance on an extractive system.”
I knew about Bridget’s work from the IRL Podcast, and once again, these are exactly the framings I want for thinking about AI. “We’re asking whether it’s healthy for individuals to develop relationships with AI. We should be asking whether it’s ethical for companies to engineer emotional dependency and then profit from it. We’re worried about whether people are replacing human connection. We should be demanding to know what companies are doing with the intimate data we share in our moments of vulnerability.” Karen Hao in an interview asks, “Does this particular AI tool or practice or artifact shift power in ways that consolidate it in the hands of the few, or in ways that distribute it in the hands of the many?” Todd asks: “Does it fortify democracy or erode it? Does it treat us as humans deserving of care, or as resources to be extracted?”
This is was such a great read. Happy launch to Bridget and thanks!
The book explores with strong empathy, humor, and critical acuity what intimacy, vulnerability, and loneliness look like in a nation with a broken mental healthcare system, when exploited by corporations. “It’s almost as if the stresses, uncertainties, and general shortcomings of the American healthcare system have created a need that is perfectly filled by a tool like AI.... It’s the slow normalization of reliance on an extractive system.”
I knew about Bridget’s work from the IRL Podcast, and once again, these are exactly the framings I want for thinking about AI. “We’re asking whether it’s healthy for individuals to develop relationships with AI. We should be asking whether it’s ethical for companies to engineer emotional dependency and then profit from it. We’re worried about whether people are replacing human connection. We should be demanding to know what companies are doing with the intimate data we share in our moments of vulnerability.” Karen Hao in an interview asks, “Does this particular AI tool or practice or artifact shift power in ways that consolidate it in the hands of the few, or in ways that distribute it in the hands of the many?” Todd asks: “Does it fortify democracy or erode it? Does it treat us as humans deserving of care, or as resources to be extracted?”
This is was such a great read. Happy launch to Bridget and thanks!
July 21, 2026
Podcast host and digital organizer Bridget Todd explores the reactive current conversations revolving around AI and intimate human relationships. Produced as a series in an expanded podcast conversation, this audio only rendition includes snippets of interviews with AI users, journalists, and AI researchers from all over the world. Todd selects guests who are thoughtful about the emotional and relational pull of AI, including researchers, privacy experts, and personal narrative users. Todd explores not just the research around AI companion relationships that are growing in popularity, but also reveals her own vulnerable journey using ChatGPT when she was grappling with her own grief. Todd rightly identifies that the main question people should be asking is not why isolated people are turning to AI companions, but rather: who is holding the Silicon Valley companies responsible for monetizing human emotion and extracting data without full consent? Todd’s fast paced, quippy podcaster voice easily pulls the listener into the conversation, and she is careful to present a balanced perspective to a highly reactive subject. Highly recommended to listeners of tech podcasts and AI skeptics and embracers alike.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As someone who works in technology, I was immediately drawn to Love at First Prompt by Bridget Todd. The idea of forming meaningful relationships with AI may sound strange at first, but this audiobook challenges assumptions and encourages listeners to look beyond the headlines. Todd approaches the topic with curiosity, empathy, and an open mind, exploring the emotional needs that drive people toward virtual companionship.
What I appreciated most was that the book doesn't try to tell listeners what to think. Instead, it presents real stories, thoughtful research, and important ethical questions about connection, loneliness, consent, and the future of human relationships. The inclusion of actual conversations and audio elements makes the audiobook especially engaging and immersive.
Whether you're fascinated by AI, concerned about its growing role in society, or simply curious about how technology is reshaping human connection, Love at First Prompt offers a thought-provoking listening experience that will stay with you long after it ends.
Thank you to Bridget Todd, Simon & Schuster Audio, and NetGalley for the ALC.
What I appreciated most was that the book doesn't try to tell listeners what to think. Instead, it presents real stories, thoughtful research, and important ethical questions about connection, loneliness, consent, and the future of human relationships. The inclusion of actual conversations and audio elements makes the audiobook especially engaging and immersive.
Whether you're fascinated by AI, concerned about its growing role in society, or simply curious about how technology is reshaping human connection, Love at First Prompt offers a thought-provoking listening experience that will stay with you long after it ends.
Thank you to Bridget Todd, Simon & Schuster Audio, and NetGalley for the ALC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I'll start with what I enjoyed. The narrator was fantastic, as I'd expect from a professional podcaster who's very used to conducting interviews herself. Her subjects were equally good at conveying their ideas, even though I don't agree with every one of Todd's takes (namely, that it is a bad thing that AI is taking jobs in sex work, which I believe to be a purely exploitative industry). Regardless, she presents a thoughtful look into the growing number of people using AI to supplement (or, I suspect, replace) their human connections. I do think she could have talked more about the Friend as a product beyond the advertising backlash in NYC, but I recognize that it could be difficult to find early adopters willing to be interviewed. The reason I'm not recommending it to my library for purchase, even though my community has a lot of members who have a high level of interest in AI, is because during the interview segments with one guest (I forgot his name, but he was the one with an AI girlfriend named S0l), a dog was barking the whole time.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Love At First Prompt is a super cool audiobook experience that feels like listening to a great podcast- interviews included. While I don’t work in a traditional “tech” space, posting in a creative space has really opened my eyes to the passionate AI debates as the technology creeps its way into my day to day. This book explores new and familiar AI use cases through a compassionate, non-judgmental lens. I think it could be turned into a great documentary, and I subscribed to Bridget Todd’s actual podcast after listening- she’s a voice to come to for a balanced take as the world continues to be more polarizingly online. Her “the internet was chaotic this week” post series is also the breakdown I’ve been craving. So excited to have been introduced to her- thank you to NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for the opportunity to read & review (:
4.5⭐️
4.5⭐️
August 7, 2026
I've been faithfully listening to Bridget's podcast (There are No Girls on the Internet) for quite some time, so it was an absolute treat to listen to her in long form. She gets vulnerable, down in the nitty gritty, and covers the taboo subjects others are afraid to touch, all with the level of detail and meticulous research I've come to know and love. Congrats, Bridget! This is an absolute gem!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an e-arc of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review
I really enjoyed this take on how AI is affecting how people relate to each other. So much of what you hear about AI is about the environmental impact or how it's taking away jobs. I liked that Todd didn't try to put a value judgement on AI and instead took a fairly broad look at how it is affecting human connection as so many people build relationships--of some sort--with chatbots.
While the romantic relationships discussed in this book may be the extremes of people relating to AI, chances are every one of us knows someone who has worked through difficult situations with the help of a chatbot.
While the title makes it seem like all of the relationships discussed will be romantic, I really enjoyed the broad spectrum of relationship dynamics that were included. From romance with bots, to AI helping people find and strengthen human relationships, to bots actually encouraging very unhealthy mental states and discouraging professional help for them.
This human-centered look at AI did touch on a lot of the normal AI talking points, such as the environmental impact, but by approaching it from a human standpoint I found it much more interesting than the typical AI-is-uniquely-problematic conversations.
I really enjoyed this take on how AI is affecting how people relate to each other. So much of what you hear about AI is about the environmental impact or how it's taking away jobs. I liked that Todd didn't try to put a value judgement on AI and instead took a fairly broad look at how it is affecting human connection as so many people build relationships--of some sort--with chatbots.
While the romantic relationships discussed in this book may be the extremes of people relating to AI, chances are every one of us knows someone who has worked through difficult situations with the help of a chatbot.
While the title makes it seem like all of the relationships discussed will be romantic, I really enjoyed the broad spectrum of relationship dynamics that were included. From romance with bots, to AI helping people find and strengthen human relationships, to bots actually encouraging very unhealthy mental states and discouraging professional help for them.
This human-centered look at AI did touch on a lot of the normal AI talking points, such as the environmental impact, but by approaching it from a human standpoint I found it much more interesting than the typical AI-is-uniquely-problematic conversations.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews