On October 14, MIT professor and bestselling author Sherry Turkle will join mindfulness pioneer Jon Kabat-Zinn at All Souls Church in New York City for a live conversation about Turkle's new book, Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines. Published September 29 by Little, Brown and Company, the book examines what happens as artificial intelligence moves beyond information and productivity into the deeply human territory of companionship, empathy, advice, loneliness, and relationships. The event marks the third conversation between Turkle and Kabat-Zinn, produced by Steve Stein and WisdomFeed Publishing, and the first to be held in person after two online episodes of the StreetSmart Wisdom Podcast. This timing puts Turkle's book at the center of their continuing dialogue, signaling that the questions it raises are no longer theoretical but immediate.
The significance of this conversation lies in its timing and its focus. As conversational AI becomes ubiquitous, people are increasingly turning to machines not only to accomplish tasks but for forms of companionship, counsel, and emotional connection once associated with human relationships. Turkle, the Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at MIT, has spent decades studying the relationship between people and technology. In a previous StreetSmart Wisdom conversation, she described the current moment as a "break the glass moment," asking, "How are we going to govern? How are we going to think about the challenge we face?" Her new book confronts that challenge directly, asking whether pretend empathy is enough and how humans can connect given their extraordinary gift for real empathy.
Kabat-Zinn, who founded Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, approaches the same moment through the convergence of the analog and the digital. He warns that we must "realize the full dimensionality and potential of the analog world before we lose it to fake empathy from machines." His decades of work on mindfulness, awareness, and presence offer a counterpoint to the simulated intimacy of AI. Together, Turkle and Kabat-Zinn represent two distinct but complementary perspectives: one rooted in social science and technology criticism, the other in contemplative practice. Their dialogue promises to illuminate how individuals and society can navigate a world where machines increasingly mimic human connection.
The event will take place at All Souls Church, 1157 Lexington Avenue, at 80th Street and Lexington Avenue, bringing the conversation literally to street level. It will be available for both in-person and livestream attendance. Turkle will sign copies of Artificial Intimacy following the program. Those interested in attending can find information and registration at https://wisdomfeed.thrivecart.com/artificial-intimacy/. WisdomFeed Publishing extends special thanks to All Souls for opening its Upper East Side sanctuary to this conversation and the New York community.
Why does this matter? Because the rise of artificial intimacy is not a distant future scenario; it is already reshaping how people seek comfort, advice, and relationships. Turkle's research and Kabat-Zinn's mindfulness teachings converge on a critical question: as machines become more adept at simulating empathy, what happens to our capacity for genuine human connection? The October 14 conversation aims to address that question head-on, offering a public forum for reflection and dialogue. By bringing these two thinkers together in person, WisdomFeed Publishing furthers its mission of taking ancient ideas down to street level, ensuring that the ethical and existential implications of AI are discussed not just in academic circles but in the heart of New York City.
