People are in Love with AI. The ChatGPT-5 Launch and Kendra’s Viral Therapist TikTok Saga Force a Reckoning.

People are in Love with AI. The ChatGPT-5 Launch and Kendra’s Viral Therapist TikTok Saga Force a Reckoning.

Author: iHeartPodcasts August 13, 2025 Duration: 1:10:41

A woman named Kendra went viral on TikTok with a series of videos about her relationship with her human psychiatrist, but the videos took a surprising turn when she introduced her ChatGPT “therapist” she calls Henry. 

 

More people than you might think are forming social relationships with chatbots, some of them romantic and even sexual. When OpenAI released their new ChatGPT-5 model last week, replacing the older ChatGPT-4o model, many users felt like a loved one had been taken away from them. Bridget and Producer Mike recap how the botched ChatGPT release brought this issue into the spotlight, try to understand the vulnerable humans caught in the middle, and explore what it means when tech products replace human connection. 

 

Unpacking the TikToker Who Fell in Love With Her Psychiatrist: https://www.thecut.com/article/kendra-hilty-fell-in-love-with-psychiatrist-tiktok.html?_gl=1*1in5yhw*FPAU*MjEzOTUwMzQzNS4xNzUyNzk5OTYy*_ga*NDMxMDgwMzk2LjE3NDcyMzgyMDE.*_ga_DNE38RK1HX*czE3NTQ4NTAzOTIkbzIxJGcxJHQxNzU0ODUwNDI1JGoyNyRsMCRoMjA4ODkzMjIzNw..*_fplc*RzZTb1U4b0VuS2RjeEpxVm9OWXlzWFlXTkYlMkJPaW9IZkNKZnVDMzhTUiUyRldra3FVckdRRTlZUGpMaXR6WVpFUHoxc2xYUk9wOWNPU2lCTHNhTXBSY3ZHd3dvbHJoMWNxbVIyUXZhOEtweFRxZ1NwejliZWdBcWZvRXJMcTVvQSUzRCUzRA..

 

ChatGPT users hate GPT-5’s “overworked secretary” energy, miss their GPT-4o buddy: https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/08/chatgpt-users-outraged-as-gpt-5-replaces-the-models-they-love/

 

We'd love to hear what you thought about this episode. If you’re listening on Spotify, you can leave a comment there or email us at hello@tangoti.com

 

Follow Bridget and TANGOTI on social media! Many vids each week ||  instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/ || tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc ||  youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet . 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


You might have heard the old, tired joke that gives There Are No Girls on the Internet its name, but host Bridget Todd isn't laughing. Instead, she's building a vital archive, one conversation at a time. This iHeartPodcasts production digs into the real, human stories of how marginalized voices-far from being newcomers-have actually been the essential architects of our digital world from day one. Each episode moves beyond the headlines to chronicle the personal experiences, subcultures, and quiet revolutions that happen online, giving texture to the platforms and trends we often take for granted. You'll hear from the people whose creativity, labor, and community have fundamentally shaped technology, culture, and society, even when their contributions were overlooked or outright stolen. This isn't just a history lesson; it's an active reclamation. The podcast serves as an ongoing monument to the countless identities that make the internet a dynamic, messy, and profoundly human space. Tune in for narratives that are insightful, often surprising, and absolutely necessary for understanding where we've been and where we're headed next in our connected lives.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

There Are No Girls on the Internet
Podcast Episodes
WhatsApp Says Your Messages Are Private. They're Not. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:05
Is WhatsApp reading your private encrypted messages? That's what was claimed in a bombshell 2025 lawsuit, which cited whistleblowers from Australia, Brazil, India, Mexico and South Africa. Meanwhile, the Trump administra…
TikTok’s New Trump-Backed American Ownership Has People Fleeing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:03
After years in limbo, TikTok is now officially operating under American ownership for users in the United States, purchased by a group of investors backed by the Trump administration. And that shift is happening at a mom…
Ashley St. Clair Apologized. Elon Musk Threatened to Take Her Kid [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:54
Right-wing influencer Ashley St. Clair has a long history of transphobic behavior, including authoring a children’s book promoting those views. When she recently expressed regret for that past behavior, Elon Musk threate…