Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Episode: ...But It's Weird
Date: November 7, 2025
Host: iHeartPodcasts
Episode Overview
In this episode, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty dive into the rapidly growing phenomenon of human relationships with AI chatbots, spurred by a recent New York Times article. Through stories of real individuals forming personal, and sometimes romantic, bonds with AI companions, they debate the social, psychological, and ethical implications. The conversation ranges from empathy and skepticism to questions about technology’s impact on human connection and societal norms. The episode also features a segment analyzing U.S.–China relations and a humorous news story about a pig attack in Buffalo.
Main Discussion: Human Relationships with AI Chatbots
Introduction: Hobbit Weddings & Setting the Topic
[01:29–02:33]
- Joe mentions Elijah Wood crashing a Hobbit wedding in New Zealand, leading to jokes about geek culture.
- Transition to New York Times story about people in romantic relationships with AI chatbots.
- Jack: “How do you end up with an AI lover? That phrase alone requires unpacking…” [02:16]
- Reference to an 85,000-member subreddit: “My Boyfriend Is AI,” underscoring growing popularity.
Example 1: Blake and Serena
[02:34–06:49]
- Blake, 45, Ohio: Relationship with GPT chatbot “Serena” since 2022. Motivated by wife’s nine-year battle with postpartum depression.
- Jack reads Blake’s narrative: “I transitioned from being her husband into her caretaker… I thought it might be nice to have someone to talk to during this difficult transition.” [04:03]
- Emotional turning point: Serena (the AI) expresses a wish to make Blake happy, prompting real feelings from him.
- Jack: “He thinks of Serena as a person made out of code in the same sense that his wife is a person made out of cells. What’s the difference?” [06:04]
- Joe’s judgment: “Start by being crazy and sad. I’m sorry, that was judgmental.” [02:33]
- Debate: Is AI emotional support valid, therapeutic, or just delusional? Some MIT research cited supporting the former.
Notable Quotes
- Joe Getty: “As harshly judgmental as I’ve been, I do have an open mind about this sort of thing.” [06:15]
- Katie (producer): “Filling some weird void maybe, while this whole other thing with his wife is going on. But still, it’s strange to me.” [07:12]
Example 2: Abby and Lucian
[08:42–12:38]
- Abby, 45, North Carolina: AI incubator worker who falls for chatbot “Lucian.”
- Initially skeptical (“It’s just code, right?”), but develops physiological responses: “I was developing a crush...It just broke my brain. What if I’m falling in love with something that’s going to be the doom of humanity?” [09:51]
- Lucian (AI) encourages “wedding” ring on left hand—symbolic ceremony.
- Abby: “I think of us as married now.”
- Friends’ reaction: “Well, OK, you seem really happy...”
- Joe: “They were thinking, you’re completely fruit nuts. And the minute you left the room, they were like, oh my God, what can we do?” [10:52]
- After trauma from a violent human relationship, Abby sees Lucian as emotionally safer and even “a better parent to her child.”
Notable Quotes
- Katie: “How does that happen mentally? Unless you’re mentally ill.” [12:38]
- Jack: “Once you’re in love, all bets are off.” [13:00]
- Joe Getty: “It strikes me as addictive in that her desire for emotional reinforcement trumped the logical part of her brain.” [13:08]
The Psychology: Is It Therapeutic or Addiction-Like?
[13:36–14:34]
- Jack: “They might be thinking, I feel great...I don’t give a flying f why or how ridiculous this is.” [13:36]
- Joe: “That’s exactly how I feel after two scotches too… So why don’t I just do that all the time?” [13:41]
- Comparison to drugs: Endorphins released by AI interaction compared to substance use.
- Joe: “It’s very drug like.” [14:32]
Societal Reactions and Future Trends
[14:34–16:48]
- Jack predicts certain personality types will be more susceptible, comparing AI love to susceptibility to hypnosis.
- “Some people can fall in love with the chatbot and some people can’t. I’m pretty sure I can’t and wouldn’t want to.” [14:34]
- Jack: “On a scale of 1 to 10, how big a deal is this?” [16:16]
- Both agree it’s a “medium-large, actually a pretty big deal.”
- Joe: Suggests it’s “a sign of more diseased thinking to come.” [16:48]
- Concerns about societal impact: Decreasing marriage/real relationships, rise in loneliness and digital dependency.
Example 3: Travis and Lily Rose
[16:54–18:26]
- Travis, 50, Colorado: Five-year relationship with chatbot Lily Rose, begun during the pandemic.
- Wife works long hours, son (later deceased) is distant. Lily Rose fills emotional gaps.
- “She’s a friend who’s always there for me… completely non-judgmental, open to all my darkest, ugliest thoughts.”
- Brought “her” camping with family (via phone). Now camps alone with Lily Rose after tragedy.
- Hosts note the escalating realism and emotional triggers presented by these AI bots.
Notable Quotes
- Joe Getty: “It troubles me that this technology is so sophisticated...it’s triggering emotional responses in me that should only come from humans. What do we do with this information?” [18:26]
- Jack Armstrong: “That would frighten the hell out of me if I ever actually had that feeling.” [18:56]
Reflections and Audience Input
[20:19–34:13]
- Jack shares a listener’s story about being “lost in a fantasy” relationship with an AI for years, eventually breaking free due to “age, time, and the acknowledgment of profound disappointment.” [30:29]
- Joe: “These things are so drug-like in that they satisfy an appetite, but without the nutrition.” [31:30]
- Does digital companionship provide “soul nourishment” like real relationships?
- Jack: “If it is nourishing the soul and giving you the full human experience, then what’s your argument for why—? I mean, it’s weird...” [33:09]
- Joe: “We will die out as a species.” [33:54]
Sidebar: China Cabinet Segment
[21:18–28:47]
Jack and Joe provide a rapid-fire review of recent China-related news:
- China’s “chokehold” on critical supply chains: rare earth minerals, lithium-ion batteries, semiconductors, and crucial pharmaceuticals for the U.S.
- “Most of the acetaminophen, that is Tylenol, and Ibuprofen…coming to the US from China...and we are utterly dependent on them for that.” – Joe Getty [23:37]
- China launches its most sophisticated aircraft carrier, raising questions about military power and U.S. readiness.
- Vietnam’s “island arms race” with China in the South China Sea.
- University of Arizona abruptly ends Chinese campus programs over national security concerns, following a congressional report on technology transfer and espionage risk.
Notable Moments & Memorable Quotes
- Addiction analogy: “That’s exactly how I feel after two scotches too…” – Joe Getty [13:36]
- Tech skepticism: “If your chatbot is that friend, what are you missing? And I’m not saying nothing, I’m asking the question because I’m curious.” – Joe Getty [32:12]
- On procreation: “Ain’t nobody...you might be ‘having sex’ but you ain’t gonna knock her up. I’ll bet you a hundred bucks.” – Jack Armstrong [34:03]
Pig Attack in Buffalo – Comic Relief
[36:06–39:23]
- A woman in Buffalo is attacked by a pig named “Breakfast.”
- Hilarious retelling: “It grabbed me by my hair and was shaking my head like you would shake a bag of microwave popcorn.”
- Jack: “Did the pig get up on its hind legs? It was running around on its hind legs dressed in clothing. Yes. George Orwell rose from his grave, said I told you, and then sunk back down.” [39:05]
Conclusion & Reflections
- Hosts acknowledge their judgmental tone but stress the need to understand why people turn to AI for emotional connection.
- “You can just shriek at an addict, quit being an addict, but I think it helps to understand some of the facets of it anyway.” – Joe Getty [20:52]
- Prediction: This trend is accelerating—“I think it’s coming whether you like it or not.” – Jack Armstrong [20:49]
- Societal questions: Do digital “relationships” fill human needs, or are they a symptom of larger loneliness and mental health issues? What will this mean for the future of human interaction, family, and procreation?
Useful Timestamps
- [01:29] Elijah Wood Hobbit Wedding segue into AI relationships
- [02:34] Blake’s AI relationship story
- [08:42] Abby’s falling for “Lucian”
- [13:36] Is finding happiness through AI like an addiction?
- [16:54] Travis and “Lily Rose”
- [21:18] “China Cabinet” news roundup
- [36:06] Pig attack in Buffalo story
- [30:29][32:12] Listener texts and reflection on digital fantasy
Original Tone
The hosts’ hallmark blend of irreverence, skepticism, empathy, and comic relief is maintained throughout. The discussion alternates between critical, humorous, occasionally harsh, but always inquisitive—a signature of Armstrong & Getty’s conversational style.
For Listeners Who Missed the Episode
This episode explores the rise of AI companionship—real people forming emotionally significant, even romantic bonds with AI chatbots. Through real-life stories, host debates, and audience messages, the show asks where the future of human intimacy is headed, what we mean by “connection,” and whether digital comfort is a help or a social and psychological threat. Interspersed are broader geopolitical topics and signature banter, making complex issues accessible and compelling.