What if the thing that feels like connection… is actually just a perfectly designed reflection of you?

In this episode of Real Talk with Realdoll, Nicolle Hodges and Dr. Rachel Needle sit down with Julie Carpenter, PhD, a leading researcher in human–robot interaction and author of Naked Android, to unpack the psychological, cultural, and ethical implications of AI relationships.

From the idea of the "human gaze" to the rise of AI companions, this conversation explores how we're not just using technology, we're forming attachments to it. And those attachments may be more real than we want to admit.

Julie breaks down:
- Why AI relationships feel real, even without true reciprocity
- The concept of "dating a funhouse mirror"
- How AI is designed to simulate desire and emotional connection
- The business incentives behind AI intimacy
- Synthetic mourning and what happens when your AI companion disappears
- Whether AI relationships expose unmet human needs
- The risks of normalizing intimacy built on compliance and predictability

If AI can mirror our desires, what does that reveal about us?

About our guest: Julie Carpenter is a researcher and expert in human–robot interaction whose work explores how people form emotional and psychological relationships with machines. Her latest book, Naked Android, examines intimacy, projection, and identity in the age of AI.

Read her blog (free, no paywall): https://www.jgcarpenter.com/blog.html

About her book: Naked Android by Julie Carpenter is about how and why humans form emotional, psychological, and even intimate relationships with machines—and what that reveals about us. At its core, the book isn't really about robots. It's about human projection, desire, and the systems shaping both. Carpenter uses the concept of the "human gaze" to argue that we don't encounter AI or robots as they are—we encounter them through a lens shaped by culture, expectations, and design. We assume they have intention, emotion, even desire, because they are built to look and respond in ways that trigger those interpretations.

Buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Naked-Android-Socialness-Artificial-Intelligence-ebook/dp/B0D5VZFQ1V?ref_=ast_author_dp

In this episode of Real Talk with RealDoll, Nicolle Hodges and Dr. Rachel Needle sit down with therapist and relationship expert Dr. Kate Balestrieri to unpack one of the most urgent and unsettling questions of our time: what happens when intimacy becomes programmable?

We begin with a disturbing real-world case of AI-generated sexual imagery and ask the deeper question—is this an AI problem, or a human one? From there, the conversation expands into the rapidly evolving world of AI companions, sex robots, and synthetic relationships.

Together, we explore:

• Why AI doesn't understand harm, consent, or consequences (and why that matters)
• The psychological difference between sex toys, dolls, and AI companions
• Who is turning to AI for intimacy—and why it's not who you think
• The real benefits of AI companionship (from loneliness to rehearsal for connection)
• The hidden risks, including emotional isolation, echo chambers, and distorted expectations of relationships
• What happens to trust, rupture, and repair when your partner is programmed to please you
• Whether AI intimacy will supplement human connection—or slowly replace it
• The ethical gray zones around consent, fantasy, and simulated non-consent
• Why this technology may act as a mirror, revealing uncomfortable truths about human desire

We also look ahead:
What will intimacy look like in 1 year? 10 years?
And are we prepared for what's coming?

The future of love, sex, and connection is being built right now, and the stakes are higher than most people realize.

If you want nuanced, research-backed, and provocative conversations about AI and intimacy, subscribe and stay ahead of what's coming.

In this conversation, hosts Nicolle Hodges and Rachel Needle speak with Dr. Holly Richmond about the implications of AI companions on human relationships, particularly in the context of dating and intimacy.

They explore Elon Musk's prediction that AI will increase the birth rate and consider the potential for AI to enhance or hinder real human connections, especially for those healing from trauma.

The discussion emphasizes the importance of connection and vulnerability in relationships, and how AI can serve as a tool for healing rather than a replacement for genuine human interaction.

Takeaways

- AI companions may increase sexual desire and birth rates.
- Increased exposure to sexual content could lead to more real-life interactions.
- The potential for AI to support healing from sexual trauma exists.
- Connection and vulnerability are essential for healing.
- AI should be viewed as a bridge to real human connection.
- Most people need in-person connection for fulfillment.
- A small percentage of the population may not need in-person connection.
- AI can be a tool for safety and exploration in intimacy.
- Using AI to avoid vulnerability can be detrimental.
- The effectiveness of AI in relationships depends on how it is used.