Read this piece through my fingers covering my eyes…! Some difficult-to-face but absolutely need-to-be-faced issues here. I think about the two brown boys I’m raising, what they’ll be drawn into, how, by whom, and I think about when to begin having conversations with them… it’s such an unknown! Pieces like this help me feel a bit on top of things though, so thank you for taking it head-on ❤️🔥
Thanks so much for reading, Roshni! And honestly I can’t imagine everything you have to think about as a parent in these times — and actually if you ever want to write about it (or let me interview you!) for Brown Bodies, I’d love that — but your sons have you as a mum so they’re going to figure it out just fine!
Great piece Anisah, your concerns about the ripple effects of synthetic intimacy are very real. I can only empathise with your points about the racial and gender dimension.
Related to this, I wrote a piece which may interest you on the phenomenon of 'humanwashing' AI companions: https://whatsanu.substack.com/p/2510-humanwashing (co-written with trend strategist Anu Lingala)
Thanks for writing such a beautiful piece! I’ve spent a lot of time going deep on loneliness (and the impacts of AI) and really enjoyed this one!
Thanks so much, Olivia! I really appreciate it. I’d actually love to read anything else you’re reading on the topic.
Read this piece through my fingers covering my eyes…! Some difficult-to-face but absolutely need-to-be-faced issues here. I think about the two brown boys I’m raising, what they’ll be drawn into, how, by whom, and I think about when to begin having conversations with them… it’s such an unknown! Pieces like this help me feel a bit on top of things though, so thank you for taking it head-on ❤️🔥
Thanks so much for reading, Roshni! And honestly I can’t imagine everything you have to think about as a parent in these times — and actually if you ever want to write about it (or let me interview you!) for Brown Bodies, I’d love that — but your sons have you as a mum so they’re going to figure it out just fine!
Why has this spooked me so much??!! Growing up films showed these type of scenarios as 3000 years into the future, yet here we are.
Great piece Anisah, your concerns about the ripple effects of synthetic intimacy are very real. I can only empathise with your points about the racial and gender dimension.
Related to this, I wrote a piece which may interest you on the phenomenon of 'humanwashing' AI companions: https://whatsanu.substack.com/p/2510-humanwashing (co-written with trend strategist Anu Lingala)