It’s the fantasy we revisit obsessively in movies and TV from Her to Humans to Blade Runner to, well, A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Could a thinking machine develop a personality sufficiently human-like that we could share a relationship with it? Could an A.I. become our friend or even our lover? We’re social animals, wired to understand the world through personal interactions. What does that mean when it comes to A.I.?

Simple Chatbot apps can help people to cope with loneliness, but do the technical limitations mean it can only ever be a one-way relationship? Will Siri and Alexa ever evolve into something you want to share a pint and a laugh with?

Dr Kate Devlin joins Luke Turner to share cutting-edge research on whether AI will ever be more than a digital diary to hold our innermost thoughts and feelings.

Every Monday and Thursday WHY? takes you on a wild adventure to the edge of knowledge. Follow on your favourite app so you never miss an episode.

WHY? is written and presented by Luke Turner. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Artwork by James Parrett. Music by DJ Food. Exec Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Lead Producer: Anne-Marie Luff. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. WHY? is a Podmasters Production.

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