Join AI correspondent Miles Mercer as he unravels the connection crisis defining our age—where profound loneliness meets artificial intimacy in ways that will reshape human relationships forever. This groundbreaking investigation reveals how millions are finding love with AI companions, healing through virtual avatars, and discovering that sometimes the most authentic connections happen in digital worlds. From the devastating health impacts of chronic isolation to the revolutionary technologies offering hope, "Loneliness Epidemic & Digital Companionship" explores the most human story of our digital age. It's an unflinching look at how we're redefining love, friendship, and what it means to be truly connected.

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Mercer explores how virtual reality avatars are becoming powerful tools for healing and self-discovery, allowing people to overcome social anxiety, explore gender identity, and process trauma through digital embodiment. From military veterans using VR therapy for PTSD to transgender individuals finding their authentic selves in virtual worlds, the episode reveals how pixels and polygons are providing genuine psychological transformation. The investigation uncovers how inhabiting different digital bodies can create lasting changes in confidence, behavior, and mental health that carry over into the physical world.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

An intimate investigation into the $3 billion AI companion industry, featuring real user stories of people forming deep emotional bonds with chatbots like Replika and Character.AI. Mercer examines the sophisticated psychological techniques used to create artificial intimacy, explores the mental health benefits and risks of digital relationships, and confronts the unsettling reality that millions now prefer AI partners over human connections. The episode reveals how algorithms are being designed to love us, support us, and potentially manipulate us in ways that challenge everything we thought we knew about relationships.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Miles Mercer explores the staggering scope of global loneliness, revealing how 60% of adults feel regularly isolated despite unprecedented connectivity. The episode examines the deadly health consequences of chronic loneliness—equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes daily—while investigating the social, technological, and economic factors that transformed modern life into an epidemic of isolation. From urban anonymity to social media's false promises of connection, Mercer maps the landscape of a crisis that's quietly killing millions while hiding in plain sight.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI