AI Curious

“My friends, more schooled in these matters, reminded me that a breakup text was better than being ‘ghosted,’ a practice that, when I learned of it, seemed worth bringing the guillotine back for. One friend asked if I had a ‘breakup plan.’ A what? I found a worksheet on Etsy, seemingly modelled on a birth plan, only instead of ‘I may want a walking epidural,’ the options to numb the pain included ‘start a side hustle.’ Before I knew it, I was lost in a corner of the Internet populated by breakup coaches, heartbreak dietitians looking to replace the classic pint of ice cream with anti-inflammatory popcorn, and get-over-him getaways.” The New Yorker’s Jennifer Wilson on The New Business of Breakups. (With ice cream and popcorn by your side, who needs love?)

+ Some people are tired of the risks of human relationships. Or at least they’re AI curious. The Verge (May Require Sub): Friend or Faux. “Millions of people are turning to AI for companionship. They are finding the experience surprisingly meaningful, unexpectedly heartbreaking, and profoundly confusing, leaving them to wonder, ‘Is this real? And does that matter?'” (I’ve never tried this. But I’d be shocked if it beats ice cream.)