Sherry Turkle — Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines - with Deborah Tannen

Sherry Turkle presents *Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines*, an examination of how increasingly human-like AI chatbots are changing empathy, attachment, solitude, and relationships. Turkle argues that chatbots may offer the appearance of friendship, romance, psychotherapy, and emotional support while encouraging people to accept simulated intimacy as an adequate substitute for human connection. The conversation will also consider how dependence on machine relationships may leave people more isolated and less practiced at relating to one another.

Turkle will discuss the book with Deborah Tannen, with the event presented in partnership with the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). Turkle is an MIT professor, psychologist, and leading scholar of human relationships with technology. Tannen is a bestselling author and Distinguished University Professor of Linguistics at Georgetown University. EPIC, a Washington-based nonprofit research and advocacy organization, focuses on privacy, free expression, and democratic values in the digital age.

When: November 4, 2026

Showtimes: 7:00 p.m.

Venue: Politics and Prose at The Wharf, 610 Water St SW, Washington, DC 20024

Participants: Sherry Turkle, in conversation with Deborah Tannen

Presented with: Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)

Tickets: Free

Seating: First come, first served.

Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask about accessibility, email events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. Requests made closer to the event will be accommodated when possible.

Note: The event is based on Turkle’s *Artificial Intimacy*, which explores the growing use of AI for companionship and emotional support, including the possibility that machine-mediated relationships may weaken human capacities for care, empathy, and connection.