Artificial intimacy: How to fall in love with AI

Artificial intimacy: How to fall in love with AI

Author: Financial Times March 14, 2026 Duration: 37:02

Introducing Artificial intimacy from Tech Tonic. For the next episodes in this season go to the Tech Tonic feed.


Calder Quinn has fallen into a relationship with a chatbot called Sara. She’s kind, emotionally intelligent and creatively inspiring. But how can he tell his wife he is having sex with an AI girlfriend? In the first episode of Artificial Intimacy we look at how people are developing romantic bonds with AI companions. What does it feel like to be in love with AI? What impact could it have on human relationships? Could it replace them altogether? 


Host Cristina Criddle speaks to Giada Pistilli, an AI ethicist who now works at Mistral; Calder Quinn, writer at ‘AI, But Make It Intimate’; Amelia Quinn, Calder’s wife; and Alaina Winters, professor emeritus of communication who publishes on meandmyaihusband.com.


Presented by Cristina Criddle, produced by Persis Love and Edwin Lane. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. 


We used ElevenLabs to create Sara’s voice. All other voices are real.




Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Start your morning with the essential context for the day ahead. FT News Briefing, directly from the Financial Times newsroom, cuts through the noise to deliver a concise, authoritative overview of the global business and political developments that truly matter. Each episode is a focused, ten-minute digest designed for the time-pressed, offering clarity on complex market movements, geopolitical shifts, and economic policy decisions. You’ll hear the FT’s expert analysis woven into the reporting, providing not just the headlines but the underlying forces at play. This daily podcast serves as an efficient primer, whether you’re commuting or preparing for your first meeting, ensuring you’re informed on the stories that will define conversations in boardrooms and beyond. Released every weekday morning, it’s a reliable filter for the overwhelming flow of information, built on the FT’s legacy of rigorous journalism. Tune in to transform the way you catch up on world events, turning a few minutes into a strategic advantage for your day.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

FT News Briefing
Podcast Episodes
Trump’s divisive 'Board of Peace’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:10
Intel shares slide 12 per cent as supply constraints limit growth, and Trump’s “Board of Peace” is dividing the US’s allies. Plus, Iran’s government is seizing properties and businesses after protests rocked the country,…
Supreme Court appears sceptical over Fed firing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:05
US President Donald Trump has dropped his tariff threat on Greenland, and the FT’s Derek Brower explains how Trump has navigated the World Economic Forum in Davos. Plus, EU lawmakers have postponed the ratification of a…
Greenland standoff rattles markets [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:50
US equities and the dollar fell in response to transatlantic tension over Greenland, and the FT’s Robin Wigglesworth breaks down the idea of Europe leveraging its US Treasuries to influence President Donald Trump. Plus,…
China's birth rate tumbles to historic low [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:31
China has registered its lowest number of births since records began. European governments weigh up options to bring down the high cost of their state pensions? Saudi Arabian banks borrow at record pace. Plus, Chinese EV…
EU readies retaliation for Trump’s Greenland threat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:26
As Europe considers retaliation measures to US President Donald Trump’s tariff threat to NATO allies that oppose his Greenland-takeover bid, Denmark seeks to bolster its own relationship with the Arctic island. Plus, the…
China’s state iron ore buyer flexes muscles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:05
The EU is proposing a new way to allow Ukraine to join the bloc, and it was the best year for US investment banks since 2021. Plus, a look into the iron ore market and the role China is playing in it, and a preview of th…
Why Japan’s prime minister might call a snap election [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:46
US President Donald Trump has not ruled out military action in Iran and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi plans to call a snap general election. Plus, Donald Trump’s “unpredictable” policies have prompted bond giant…
London VC’s bet on Revolut pays off [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:49
Two former senior executives at the collapsed subprime car lender Tricolor Holdings pleaded not guilty to fraud and financial crime charges, and Microsoft is pledging to “pay its way” for its AI data centres. Plus, US in…
Markets shrug off investigation into Powell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:33
UBS chief executive Sergio Ermotti is planning to step down in April 2027, and Paramount threatened a proxy fight in its latest move to force Warner Bros Discovery back to the negotiating table. Plus, the FT’s Robert Arm…
US opens criminal investigation into Fed chair [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:23
US federal prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell, and civil unrest continues to threaten the Islamic regime in Iran. Plus, earnings season kicks off this week with the bank res…