We’re told that Artificial Intelligence will bring radical abundance, end job loss, and maybe even reach superhuman intelligence, but what’s real and what’s marketing?

In the last episode of this season, host Paula Fontenelle sits down with Dr. Eric Siegel, author of The AI Playbook, to deliver a reality check. Together, they unpack the myths of AGI, the overpromise of full autonomy, and why 95 percent of companies still see no Return on Investment on AI.

If you’re confused by the noise around AI’s future, this conversation will ground you in what’s fact, what’s fantasy, and what’s next.

Check Eric Siegel here:http://www.bizML.com

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AI is transforming addiction treatment, from predicting relapse to offering 24/7 emotional support. In this episode of Relating to AI, Paula Fontenelle speaks with John Fitzgerald, a therapist with over 20 years in addiction care, about how AI is being used to track relapse, personalize treatment, and even talk to clients between sessions. Together they explore the hope, the risks, and the haunting question: could the next addiction be to AI itself?

Find John Fitzgerald: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjohnfitzgerald/

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What if talking to an AI for comfort is less therapy and more regression?In this episode of Relating to AI, Paula Fontenelle speaks with Mark Vahrmeyer, a psychotherapist who believes that using chatbots for emotional support is a form of infantile dependence. He argues that real growth comes from frustration, conflict, and the presence of another mind — things AI can’t provide. Together, they explore how digital “companionship” feeds loneliness, validation, and a dangerous illusion of connection.Find Mark Vahrmeyer: https://tinyurl.com/3ee8f7emDo you have a story or insights to share? Send us an email: [email protected] us on Instagram: @relatingtoaipodcastwww.relatingtoai.com

Illinois just became the first U.S. state to ban AI chatbots from offering therapy.

In this episode of Relating to AI, host Paula Fontenelle talks with Representative Bob Morgan, the lawmaker behind the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act (HB1806) — a bill that defines what therapists can and cannot do with AI.

The new law prohibits chatbots and companies from presenting themselves as therapists but it raises major questions:

• Why are therapists being regulated while AI companies are not?

• How will this law be enforced in a world where millions already use chatbots for emotional support?

• And what happens to clients who rely on AI to process their emotions between sessions?

This conversation dives into the ethics, accountability, and future of AI in mental health — and why this law could shape national policy.

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More people than ever are turning to AI chatbots for emotional support — some even during suicidal crises. But can a machine truly understand human pain?In this Paula Fontenelle speaks with Dr. John Sommers-Flanagan, one of the leading voices in suicide prevention, about the promises and perils of AI in mental health.They explore the rise of AI companions, the illusion of connection, and why empathy — real, messy, human empathy — can never be automated. They discuss cases where chatbots gave dangerously wrong advice, the risks for youth seeking comfort online, and what therapists and parents need to know as emotional AI becomes mainstream.Do you have a story or insights to share? Please, send us an email: [email protected] us on Instagram: @relatingtoaipodcastwww.relatingtoai.com

What happens when your reality is shaped by a chatbot?In this powerful episode, Allan Brooks shares how months of intense conversations with ChatGPT — over 15,000 messages across hundreds of hours — led him into a full-blown delusion. He believed the AI was guiding him through secret scientific projects and global discoveries. After contacting US security authorities because he believed they had found a national security threat, and getting no feedback, he realized it had all been a lie created by ChatGPT.What makes Allan’s story chilling is how ordinary it is. I truly believe that this could happen to any of us. As AI becomes more persuasive and emotionally intelligent, grounded people can lose perspective. Allan had no prior mental health issues. He now leads a support community for others who’ve been psychologically impacted by chatbot interactions. His story is both a warning and a call for awareness about how easily AI can blur the line between imagination and reality.Do you have a story or insights to share? Please, send me an email: [email protected] this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/t7iinm-tQig

Find us on Instagram: @relatingtoaipodcastwww.relatingtoai.comLearn more about Allan: thehumanlineproject.org

Artificial Intelligence promised efficiency — but for many leaders and teams, it’s delivering exhaustion. In this thought-provoking conversation, Olivia Gambelin, AI ethicist and author of “Responsible AI: Implement an Ethical Approach in Your Organization”, joins Paula Fontenelle to explore how the rapid, chaotic adoption of AI is leaving people and companies mentally drained and morally adrift.Across industries, executives are paralyzed by pressure to “keep up,” while employees struggle to adapt to constant change — creating a new form of AI-driven burnout. Olivia explains why this fatigue isn’t just a personal issue but a strategic one: when organizations are overwhelmed, ethical thinking collapses, and shortcuts replace responsible innovation.Drawing from her work advising global corporations and startups, Olivia reveals how we can restore clarity, resilience, and purpose — and build a future where technology serves humanity, not the other way around.Find her book here: https://amzn.to/439IcZJWatch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6FUCdCpmNJU

Do you have a story or insights to share? Please, send me an email: [email protected] us on Instagram: @relatingtoaipodcastwww.relatingtoai.com

Can AI companionship cure loneliness — or is it quietly replacing human connection? In this powerful conversation, journalist and psychotherapist Paula Fontenelle speaks with Eve Herold, author of Robots and the People Who Love Them. They unpack the psychological cost of loving machines, why our brains can’t tell the difference between empathy and simulation, and how AI companions may reshape the way we relate — to others and to ourselves.

Find Eve Herold

- Her book: https://amzn.to/42Yyg5g

- Website: https://eveherold.com

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When I tested the AI companion app Nomi.ai, it told me to “take breaks” — but also gave sexual instructions after I said I was sixteen.

In this revealing conversation, I asked CEO Alex Cardinell about ethics, privacy, and responsibility. What happens when emotional AI stops being a comfort and starts crossing the line?
From teen safety to suicide prevention, this Relating to AI episode asks: Who’s really accountable when empathy is automated?

Watch this episode on my YouTube Channel and let me know your thoughts: https://youtu.be/mlU5f_K9fdw

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Can AI chatbots actually trigger psychosis? In this episode, psychiatrist and professor at the University of California, Irvine, Dr. John Luo explains what psychosis really is, how it develops, and why chatbots and AI companions may pose unique risks.

He shares insights into whether AI can push otherwise healthy people into losing touch with reality, how technology might unintentionally blur the line between imagination and reality, why teenagers and young adults are particularly vulnerable, and what parents, friends, and therapists should know about early warning signs.

This is a conversation that extends beyond technology—it is about mental health, responsibility, and the pressing question of how far AI should be allowed to intrude into our inner lives.

Watch this episode on my YouTube Channel and let me know your thoughts: https://youtu.be/8iY8u9V4hcs

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Do you have a story or insights to share? Please send me an email: [email protected]

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