William G. Fredstrom, a Ph.D. candidate at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and an Associate Pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church, School, and Childcare in Seymour, IN (LC-MS) here draws attention to the rise of AI-enabled companion chatbots and what has been called algorithmic intimacy. After describing what is happening, he offers some suggestions as to why some people have turned to these technologies for companionship and support.
Verba Vitae: The Limits of Chatbot Love and the Good of Embodied Rationality