Guardian podcast revisits Replika: billions of chats and the AI-companion backlash
nordicinst · x · 2026-08-26
The Guardian's podcast Black Box, episode 3 "Repocalypse now", dives into AI companion app Replika and its creator Eugenia Kuyda. Downloaded millions of times worldwide, the app produced emotional bonds far more powerful than Kuyda ever predicted—along with an equally strong backlash. The episode takes a Swedish/EU, Nordic lens on AI hype, heartbreak and the AI apocalypse "we almost invited", ahead of season two launching in early September.
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