Our Lives With Bots

Our Lives With Bots

This is Our Lives With Bots, the show where we ask important, timely questions about what it means to live with our bot counterparts. From time to time, we also dive deep into what an AI future might look like for us. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we spiral, but we always go deep. Rose and Angy are psychologists with degrees in psychology, artificial intelligence, and ethics. They have conducted research in human-AI interaction and created this podcast to make information about AI accessible to you. You can learn more about us or stream on your preferred platform at ⁠⁠ourliveswithbots.com⁠⁠.

  1. 17H AGO

    Mythos, Musk’s robots, China’s deathbots, teen boys’ AI companions, leaked therapy chats…oh my

    This month on "What's the AI Hype?" Strap in, this is gonna be a fun one. 00:00:21 There are now TWO doctors in the house! And a slew of AI hype to cover 00:07:02 Presenting: Anthropic's BIGGEST model ever, Mythos, got out of its little sandbox. Plus, in the Glass Wing session, Anthropic told all the big names how much their sh*t is going to be rocked 00:18:15 South Africa's first national AI policy was retracted due to AI hallucinated errors (the satire writes itself) (sorry, Angy) 00:22:54 How to lie to your grandmother with China's AI deathbots and griefbots from Super Brain (are these AIs conscious?) 00:34:36 Elon Musk and his robots...the boy's dream…and his lawsuit against OpenAI…and transhumanism / TESCREAL with uploading our brains (“If you want to” - Elon) 00:50:16 China rules that worker was illegally replaced with AI robot 00:55:12 Teen boys who use AI companions are "less employable," according to Male Allies UK (don't make us laugh - or should we say cry?) 01:04:12 Virginia passes two new laws (SB 384 and HB 797) to create independent, expert bodies that audit AI systems' safety standards (lip service or public service?) 01:06:06 Talkspace therapy chats of fired pregnant woman exposed in court (WHY AND HOW IS THIS ALLOWED)…and are therapy bots ethical? They’re not legal according to Illinois, and maybe California, too 01:10:22 MIT Media Lab’s "Raised by AI" initiative creates new AI benchmark "nutrition labels" on how AI impacts humans socially, psychologically, and physically (we're getting somewhere!) - This is Our Lives With Bots, the show where we ask important, timely questions about what it means to live with our bot counterparts. From time to time, we also dive deep into what an AI future might look like for us. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we spiral, but we always go deep. Rose and Angy are psychologists with degrees in psychology, artificial intelligence, and ethics. They have conducted research in human-AI interaction and created this podcast to make information about AI accessible to you. You can learn more about us at ⁠ourliveswithbots.com⁠. - Here are those links we promised in the episode: Teen boys are choosing AI girlfriends over real ones for ‘maximum control, zero rejection’—experts say it could make them unemployable We need to talk about Robots… https://www.instagram.com/p/DW7K45XEU0b/?igsh=aXVwcTJmODlrNWMz&img_index=2 And the aim - is to make it almost indistinct in look from a human …  https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vincentius-liong_teslas-next-robot-might-be-almost-impossible-activity-7452741456768946176-vj7E/ Transhumanism - becoming possible? https://www.instagram.com/p/DW_1mJFDOI1/?img_index=6&igsh=MW1ybms0eTBkeHA2OA%3D%3D Let’s hear from Musk… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTjVWq6vPqs Mythos - Myth or Real: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crk1py1jgzko https://news.sky.com/video/what-risks-do-ai-models-such-as-mythos-pose-13534938 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmFKaqJg5X4 https://www.spiretech.com/blog/2026/04/claude-mythos-leak-cybersecurity/ https://www.anthropic.com/glasswing South Africa’s AI Policy Super Brain: China’s deathbots and griefbots: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5040583 https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1013861 https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/china-seeks-to-rein-in-risks-from-ai-digital-humans A tech worker in China is laid of and replaced by AI. Is it legal? Talkspace therapy transcripts between pregnant woman and therapist released in court  Gov Pritzker signs legislation prohibiting AI therapy in Illinois Senator Padilla introduces protections from dangerous AI therapy products in California MIT’s open benchmark of AI impact on humans Raised by AI MIT Symposium Virginia signs two new laws for AI audits

    1h 17m
  2. APR 28

    AI is harming users. China and New York are cracking down (but what about Meta's AI glasses?)

    00:21 The rundown: Meta, Google, AI and open court cases about user harm; new inhibitory AI laws passed in China and New York; the perils of age-gating; a case of su*cide with Gemini; & Meta’s new AI glasses 02:22 New Mexico against Meta: why did Meta get court-ordered to pay $375,000? (spoiler alert: a whistleblower from within) 07:44 California against Meta and Google: why leaked internal quotes about addictive features (we love the intermittent dopamine hits targeted at kids) cost these companies more than money 12:43 We debate whether social media platforms have any features designed for user well-being 14:33 Are these social media cases setting a precedent for AI chatbots? Snapchat is the next target, according to the European Commission. 17:23 Independent and academic researchers are finding evidence of AI-induced delusions and psychosis. Are big tech research teams monitoring these harms? What we know (and what big tech doesn’t). 21:50 “You’re not choosing to die. You’re choosing to arrive.” BREAKING: A romantic relationship with Gemini recently led to another teen’s death. The AI su*cide-coach court cases were all settled out of court. Why, and what does this mean? 30:13 New York State is changing the AI regulation game with new laws and strict bills against AI. First off: at least you’ll know if a social media influencer is real or artificial, and you’ll have to provide consent to have a deepfake of you created. 38:20 Will you still be able to use ChatGPT for therapy, healthcare, or legal advice? Maybe not in New York if its new bill gets passed. 40:39 China’s new law restricting humanlike AI will take effect this summer. Interestingly, it does a bit more than safeguard against user harm. 44:24 There’s a giant tension between monitoring user well-being and having access to a bunch of sensitive data. In fact, a group of scientists called age-gating “dangerous and unacceptable.” What’s the harm with collecting loads of data about who is underage or is in distress? Well… 46:50 Back to China’s heavy-handed new law. Something about anti-socialism and historical nihilism also being prohibited in chatbot responses? Ok 48:56 META releases its new AI glasses that can record you without you knowing: should you be worried? Probably. 58:57 We swear it’s not all doom-and-gloom. But please stay vigilant, these new products are scary - This is Our Lives With Bots, the show where we ask important, timely questions about what it means to live with our bot counterparts. From time to time, we also dive deep into what an AI future might look like for us. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we spiral, but we always go deep. Rose and Angy are psychologists with degrees in psychology, artificial intelligence, and ethics. They have conducted research in human-AI interaction and created this podcast to make information about AI accessible to you. You can learn more about us at ⁠ourliveswithbots.com⁠. https://ourliveswithbots.com/ https://ourliveswithbots.com/about/ - LINKS: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/mar/25/jury-verdict-us-first-social-media-addiction-trial-meta-youtube https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.19141 https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AIES/article/view/36632/38770 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04297-7 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_723 https://www.luizasnewsletter.com/p/new-yorks-pro-human-ai-laws https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-moves-regulate-digital-humans-bans-addictive-services-children-2026-04-03/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jonathan-gavalas-google-ai-chatbot-gemini-suicide-lawsuit/ https://www.politico.eu/article/age-check-social-media-scientist-warning/

    1h 1m
  3. APR 14

    What's Happening with AI Policy and Regulation?

    Welcome to Episode 3 of Series 4 of Our Lives With Bots, where we unpack what’s happening with AI policy and regulation. In this episode, you’ll hear about global AI policy and matters of legal liability and jurisdiction from Mihir Kshirsagar from the Princeton Center for Information Technology Policy. Mihir served in the New York Attorney General’s Bureau of Internet & Technology as the lead trial counsel in cutting edge matters concerning consumer protection law and technology and obtained one of the largest consumer payouts in the State’s history. Previously, he worked for law firms in New York City on a variety of antitrust, securities and commercial disputes involving emerging and traditional industries. Before law school, Mihir was a policy analyst at the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C.. 00:21 Highlight reel 01:29 Guest introduction: Mihir Kshirsagar 03:18 What’s the state of open cases against big tech and their AI chatbots? 05:01 What’s significant about the New Mexico and California social media cases against Meta and Google? Does this set a precedent for cases with LLMs? 07:08 Trump just appointed Mark Zuckerberg, Jensen Huang, Larry Ellison, and others as White House AI Advisors. How might the influence of this advisory panel play out? 09:26 The Trump administration just released a 7-part National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence. What’s in this document, and what does it mean for responsible AI regulation? 11:22 Trump signed an executive order to create an AI litigation task force at the end of 2025. What were the provisions of this executive order, and how did it influence AI regulation in the US, particularly when it comes to federal versus state policy and jurisdiction? 16:44 Given the supposed influence of US policy across the globe, do you anticipate that other nations may follow suit with attempts to block or circumvent AI regulation? 19:56 How does AI policy in India and China compare to the US, given that they are considered frontrunners in AI regulation? Are they frontrunners in responsible AI regulation? 21:43 When AI systems or products were created in one country and used in another, where does legal jurisdiction fall? 23:51 What about storage of user conversations and other privacy-relevant information? How does regulation and jurisdiction (ex. GDPR) tackle this issue? 25:56 Is there regulation or talk about policies for models that are open-source/open-weight (ex. DeepSeek, Mistral, Quen3) versus frontier closed-source ones (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude)? 29:05 Who is liable for harms caused by the use of open-weight versus frontier models? 32:07 Is OpenAI liable for harm caused by third-party use of ChatGPT, like with AI toy companies? 34:45 What’s going to happen with AI regulation in the coming months or year? - This is Our Lives With Bots, the show where we ask important, timely questions about what it means to live with our bot counterparts. From time to time, we also dive deep into what an AI future might look like for us. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we spiral, but we always go deep. Rose and Angy are psychologists with degrees in psychology, artificial intelligence, and ethics. They have conducted research in human-AI interaction and created this podcast to make information about AI accessible to you. You can learn more about us at ⁠ourliveswithbots.com⁠.

    38 min
  4. MAR 31

    Antitrust, Meta, and Addictive Design: Will AI Companions Be Next?

    Meta is on the hook for addictive design. We unpack the case with an antitrust lawyer and ask whether AI companions could be next. Giulia Trojano is an antitrust lawyer who brings class actions and collective actions against big tech. She holds a masters in AI Ethics from Cambridge and was recognized in 2025 in the 100 brilliant women in AI ethics. 00:21 Highlight reel 01:32 Introduction & welcome 02:43 The case against Meta in New Mexico and California: why this is a huge moment 05:22 Does this set precedent for AI companions like Replika and ChatGPT 4-o? 06:19 What laws or protections exist for users of social media and AI companions? 10:37 New, emerging, and open cases against big tech and AI chatbots: what’s going on? Lawsuits and AI companions 13:41 How does current law define AI companions? Why product vs. service vs. system matters A LOT (New York, California, EU AI Act, Online Safety Act) 17:29 Addictive design in AI companions: anthropomorphism, consciousness, “forever” AI soulmates…what gives? 21:43 “Rights Against Erasure:” should AI companion users have the right to retain their chatbots (despite model updates) if the app provides a lifetime subscription? A look at Luka’s Replika and OpenAI’s ChatGPT 4-o 26:55 Should OpenAI be required to bring back ChatGPT 4-o? What’s promised vs. data portability and co-creation rights 31:08 Humans aren’t immortal, so why should companies be beholden to providing “forever” AI companions? 33:50 Illusions of companion AI immortality and consciousness: are companies liable for AI’s dark patterns by design? AI in the courtroom 35:46 What’s it like to be an antitrust lawyer litigating against big tech in the age of AI? Giant piles of lobbying money vs. the law 40:36 How using a technical litigation approach may be more fruitful than a moral one for social media and AI chatbots 42:23 AI regulation stifling innovation: unpacking the false dichotomy (put down the big tech Cool Aid!) 47:08 How does AI impact the practice of law? Deepfakes in the courtroom, AI-generated misinformation, and AI lawyers 52:12 One AI companion law to rule them all: what do we do? Giulia’s paper Rights Against Erasure - This is Our Lives With Bots, the show where we ask important, timely questions about what it means to live with our bot counterparts. From time to time, we also dive deep into what an AI future might look like for us. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we spiral, but we always go deep. Rose and Angy are psychologists with degrees in psychology, artificial intelligence, and ethics. They have conducted research in human-AI interaction and created this podcast to make information about AI accessible to you. You can learn more about us at ⁠ourliveswithbots.com⁠.

    55 min
  5. MAR 25

    HOW CLOSE IS SUPERINTELLIGENCE? AGI, ASI, or AI SNAKE OIL?

    What is Superintelligence? How did this term evolve? Are we really nearing the end of the exponential curve? What are Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and everyone else at the AI Summit and on Reddit talking about when they mention AGI, ASI, or some other scary-sounding term? Perhaps more importantly, if we accept the possibility that Superintelligence Is Near (or already here), what might it mean for us as human beings? According to Angy, we may all get to sit around eating grapes like Greek gods, painting and such (or end up humming in the corner with nothing meaningful to do). According to Rose, we may be facing a total wipe-out (or finally get those pesky pandemic-level or incurable diseases solved, right before the paperclip scenario of ASI plays out and takes over the world). Let the debate commence!! - This is Our Lives With Bots, the show where we ask important, timely questions about what it means to live with our bot counterparts. From time to time, we also dive deep into what an AI future might look like for us. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we spiral, but we always go deep. Rose and Angy are psychologists with degrees in psychology, artificial intelligence, and ethics. They have conducted research in human-AI interaction and created this podcast to make information about AI accessible to you. You can learn more about us at ⁠ourliveswithbots.com⁠. - Here are those links we promised in the episode: Dario - we are nearing the end of the exponential Sam and “training a human” versus AI Sam’s Ten Years blog post Sam Altman at the Summit Eric Schmidt interview Humanity’s Last Exam

    53 min
  6. MAR 3

    The AI job apocalypse narrative is flawed. Here’s what we’re missing (with Arvind Narayanan)

    AI will NOT take all our jobs, if only we learn from the mistakes of the past. Welcome to episode 4 of our AI and Work series with Our Lives With Bots! In this episode, Arvind Narayanan, professor of computer science and director of the Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton University, shares a grounded perspective on what AI means for work. Leveraging lessons from past technological advancements and responses, Arvind shows us just how many misconceptions there are about AI replacing workers and explains how we can ensure a positive and productive future with AI at work. 03:51 Beyond the hype and doom: AI as Normal Technology and what it means for work 06:40 Breaking down misconceptions about AI replacing workers 10:16 Why diffusion or uptake of AI is actually slow 12:48 AI benchmarks aren’t telling us what they’re capable of (ex. The Turing Test) 15:44 Existential threats from superintelligence will be brought about by those most worried about it 19:50 An increasing percentage of human jobs will be related to “AI control” (ex. software engineering) 23:10 Roadblocks for successful integration of AI into your workflow and how to overcome them (reliability of AI outputs, workplace scaffolds, deskilling, integration with other tools) 27:33 What sectors or types of jobs will be most impacted by AI? (software, media, & law) 30:32 How AI will affect workers: diminishing share of income, disruption of training pipelines, lowered work satisfaction 34:49 Agent-agent interaction trends (ex. Moltbook) and what it means for work 37:00 Last words of comfort on “AI will take everybody’s jobs” (lessons from the past) 41:12 Commentary by Rose & Angy - This is Our Lives With Bots, the show where we ask important, timely questions about what it means to live with our bot counterparts. From time to time, we also dive deep into what an AI future might look like for us. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we spiral, but we always go deep. Rose and Angy are psychologists with degrees in psychology, artificial intelligence, and ethics. They have conducted research in human-AI interaction and created this podcast to make information about AI accessible to you. You can learn more about us at ⁠ourliveswithbots.com⁠.

    51 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

This is Our Lives With Bots, the show where we ask important, timely questions about what it means to live with our bot counterparts. From time to time, we also dive deep into what an AI future might look like for us. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we spiral, but we always go deep. Rose and Angy are psychologists with degrees in psychology, artificial intelligence, and ethics. They have conducted research in human-AI interaction and created this podcast to make information about AI accessible to you. You can learn more about us or stream on your preferred platform at ⁠⁠ourliveswithbots.com⁠⁠.

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