Artificial Hearts by Riley A. Grant

Artificial Hearts offers a clear-eyed, psychologically grounded look at one of the most important social shifts of the AI era: the rise of chatbots and digital companions that can feel emotionally present, reassuring, and deeply personal. Riley A. Grant examines why people bond with machines, how conversational AI can ease loneliness, and why artificial intimacy can also create new forms of dependency, avoidance, and emotional confusion. Drawing on the realities of attachment, stress, social exhaustion, and modern digital life, this book explores what happens when a machine becomes easier to confide in than a person. It considers the changing meaning of companionship, dating, marriage, friendship, sexuality, grief, and emotional support as AI grows more convincing and more available. Balanced and non-sensational, Artificial Hearts does not treat AI companionship as either a cure-all or a threat. Instead, it gives readers a nuanced framework for understanding how machine intimacy is reshaping human relationships and what that means for the future of love.