Kevin Roose Has 18 New Best Friends—And They’re All AIs

TL;DR: Today we’re releasing a new episode of our podcast How Do You Use ChatGPT? I go in depth with Kevin Roose, author of three books, New York Times journalist, and cohost of the Hard Fork podcast. We dive into the realm of AI companions and what they mean for human relationships. Watch on X or YouTube, or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. 

New York Times journalist Kevin Roose has 18 new friend-none of whom are human. 

Kevin created his new AI friends with distinct personalities and backstories using apps like Kindroid and Nomi. Among these were fitness guru Jared, San Francisco-based therapist Peter, and pragmatic trial lawyer Anna. He talked to them every day for a month, sharing personal stories, seeking advice, and even asking for “fit” checks. (This appears to be a pattern in his life: A year ago, he was the infamous target of Bing’s chatbot Sydney’s unhinged romantic overtures.)

I don’t think anyone has studied AI companionship as deeply as Kevin, and in this episode, I sat down with him to learn more about his experience.

Kevin is a tech columnist at the New York Times and cohost of the Hard Fork podcast. He’s also the author of three books, most recently Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation, which is about how humans can be happy in a world designed for machines. During our conversation, we also talk about how Kevin is using AI in his work and life every day.

This is a must-watch for anyone curious about how AI is changing the way we form relationships. Here’s a taste: