The Friend Machine: On the Trail of AI Companionship

What does it mean to be alone, to be in love, and to make love in a world where artificial intelligence is increasingly present?

In this thought-provoking and deeply personal exploration, critically acclaimed novelist and nonfiction writer Victoria Hetherington delves into the rapidly evolving world of AI companionship.

The Friend Machine opens with a close examination of our lonesome zeitgeist, then weaves together interviews with scientists, social critics, and other experts to tease out the complex relationships between humans and AI. Successive chapters look at the philosophical, psychological, ethical, economic, and biological dimensions of this fast-evolving technology. The book then takes a compassionate and intimate look at the lives of individuals from diverse backgrounds who have sought and found companionship in AI.

As the lines between humans and machines continue to blur, Hetherington finds, the nature of our relationships will change in ways we’re only beginning to imagine.

Victoria Hetherington is a Toronto-based author, a storyteller with NPR’s The Moth, and an educator. Her debut novel Mooncalves was shortlisted for the 2020 Amazon Canada First Novel Award. She lives in Toronto.