Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
October 03, 2026
Sherry Turkle and Jon Kabat-Zinn Talk AI and Intimacy in NYC
TLDR
- Attend Turkle and Kabat-Zinn's October 14 talk to gain a strategic edge in navigating AI's impact on human relationships.
- Turkle's book Artificial Intimacy examines how AI enters companionship and empathy, explored in a live conversation on October 14.
- Turkle and Kabat-Zinn's dialogue fosters mindfulness and real empathy, helping build a more connected and humane world.
- MIT professor Sherry Turkle and Jon Kabat-Zinn discuss AI and intimacy at All Souls Church on October 14, in person or livestream.
Impact - Why it Matters
This news matters because it confronts a defining question of our age: as artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into our daily lives, how will it reshape the very nature of human connection, empathy, and intimacy? Turkle and Kabat-Zinn are not merely commentators; they are leading thinkers whose work has already influenced how we understand technology and mindfulness. Their conversation offers a rare opportunity to engage with these issues directly, before the lines between authentic and simulated relationships blur beyond recognition. The event, and Turkle's book, serve as a wake-up call to preserve what is uniquely human—real empathy, presence, and the analog experiences that define us—in an increasingly digital world.
Summary
MIT professor and bestselling author Sherry Turkle will join mindfulness pioneer Jon Kabat-Zinn on October 14 at All Souls Church in New York City for a live conversation celebrating 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 the profound implications of artificial intelligence moving beyond productivity into the realm of companionship, empathy, and emotional connection. This event marks the third conversation between Turkle and Kabat-Zinn, produced by Steve Stein and WisdomFeed Publishing, following two online episodes of the StreetSmart Wisdom Podcast that explored the collision of the analog and digital worlds.
The urgency of their dialogue is palpable. Turkle has called this a “break the glass moment,” questioning how society will govern and think about the challenges posed by AI. Kabat-Zinn warns against losing the “full dimensionality and potential of the analog world” to “fake empathy from machines.” Their previous conversations delved into whether pretend empathy is enough and how humans can connect authentically. The October 14 event, held at 80th Street and Lexington Avenue, will bring these questions to a live audience and via livestream, with Turkle signing copies of Artificial Intimacy afterward. WisdomFeed Publishing extends special thanks to All Souls for opening its Upper East Side sanctuary to the New York community.
Turkle is the Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at MIT and a renowned scholar on people and technology. Kabat-Zinn founded Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and has been instrumental in bringing mindfulness into mainstream culture. Steve Stein, founder of WisdomFeed Publishing and BetterListen!, has a long history in media and technology, and his current projects include The Sneaker Tree, Brooklyn Playdate, and No Phone Zone. WisdomFeed Publishing creates audiobooks, podcasts, journals, courses, and live experiences at the intersection of technology and humanity, with a mission of “taking ancient ideas down to street level.” For more information and registration, visit https://wisdomfeed.thrivecart.com/artificial-intimacy/.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content distributed by 24-7 Press Release. Read the original source here, Sherry Turkle and Jon Kabat-Zinn Talk AI and Intimacy in NYC
