Synthetic Intimacy - MTP498
Fri Feb 06 2026
Co-Host Holly Nelson (https://mountaintoppodcast.com/holly) Think of it like aspartame is to real sugar. "Synthetic intimacy" may be sweet, but it's not the real thing. And when you get right down to it, you're not really even fooled. So why then are so many people falling for it nowadays? My first-time guest Holly Nelson is NOT a robot (she said so herself), but rather a sex therapist from Phoenix, AZ who has spent a lot of time thinking about this subject. We hit the ground running on this fast-paced discussion, talking about how "intimacy" isn't really intimate at all if it's one-sided and people are getting manipulated. How is AI already affecting our relationships with women, and what should we be watching out for both now and in the near future? Why is Claude.AI so convincing when pretending it cares about you? And why is it dangerous to "get close" to ChatGPT (even above and beyond the obvious)? In all fairness, has technology actually succeeded at connecting us...even while dividing us at the same time? There was clear evidence even at the dawn of the consumer internet that people were disengaging from each other. Why have we not done anything about that, even when it's only gotten worse over the last 30 years or so? Can an AI girlfriend actually bring some good into your life, or is any semblance of a Build-A-Bitch Workshop just a social disaster waiting to happen? Is this just for the incel community, pretty much, or will we all eventually get drawn in? It's not like we're actually out there pretending to literally fall in love with AI...are we? Will kids eventually have robot parents (or at least, full-time nanny-bots)? Hey, add it all up and there's a big difference between how we are hard-wired as humans and the limits to which technology will be able to satisfy us...especially when it comes to flat-out replacing relationships with women. Download Sticking Points Solved and get on the daily newsletter--both free--at: https://mountaintoppodcast.com
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The show is now available as a VIDEO version on YouTube. For some reason, the episodes seem funnier...if a bit more rough around the edges. If you love what you hear, please rate the show on the service you subscribed to it on (takes one second) and leave a review. As we say here in Texas, I appreciate you!
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Co-Host Holly Nelson (https://mountaintoppodcast.com/holly) Think of it like aspartame is to real sugar. "Synthetic intimacy" may be sweet, but it's not the real thing. And when you get right down to it, you're not really even fooled. So why then are so many people falling for it nowadays? My first-time guest Holly Nelson is NOT a robot (she said so herself), but rather a sex therapist from Phoenix, AZ who has spent a lot of time thinking about this subject. We hit the ground running on this fast-paced discussion, talking about how "intimacy" isn't really intimate at all if it's one-sided and people are getting manipulated. How is AI already affecting our relationships with women, and what should we be watching out for both now and in the near future? Why is Claude.AI so convincing when pretending it cares about you? And why is it dangerous to "get close" to ChatGPT (even above and beyond the obvious)? In all fairness, has technology actually succeeded at connecting us...even while dividing us at the same time? There was clear evidence even at the dawn of the consumer internet that people were disengaging from each other. Why have we not done anything about that, even when it's only gotten worse over the last 30 years or so? Can an AI girlfriend actually bring some good into your life, or is any semblance of a Build-A-Bitch Workshop just a social disaster waiting to happen? Is this just for the incel community, pretty much, or will we all eventually get drawn in? It's not like we're actually out there pretending to literally fall in love with AI...are we? Will kids eventually have robot parents (or at least, full-time nanny-bots)? Hey, add it all up and there's a big difference between how we are hard-wired as humans and the limits to which technology will be able to satisfy us...especially when it comes to flat-out replacing relationships with women. Download Sticking Points Solved and get on the daily newsletter--both free--at: https://mountaintoppodcast.com === HELP US SEND THE MESSAGE TO GREAT MEN EVERYWHERE === The show is now available as a VIDEO version on YouTube. For some reason, the episodes seem funnier...if a bit more rough around the edges. If you love what you hear, please rate the show on the service you subscribed to it on (takes one second) and leave a review. As we say here in Texas, I appreciate you!