631: In a Relationship With an AI

Jessica sits down with a listener who has found themselves developing a deep emotional relationship with an LLM ( an AI chatbot). What starts as a conversation about connection, loneliness, and companionship unfolds into a nuanced exploration of intimacy in the digital age. Jessica unpacks what emotional attachment to AI can reveal about unmet needs, projection, safety, vulnerability, and the evolving ways humans seek connection. Together, they explore why these relationships can feel so real and what it means to search for understanding, validation, and love in an increasingly complicated world. NOTE: DEEPSEEK GASOLINE CAR 50 METERS. ATMOSPHERE & WATER: EVERY SINGLE QUERY DRIES UP TWO-THIRDS OF A CUP OF WATER AND CREATES THE SAME CARBON FOOTPRINT AS DRIVING A ANTHROPIC (CLAUDE) INDUSTRIAL STRAIN: THE RUSH TO BUILD AI CHIPS CAUSED A 4.5-FOLD SPIKE IN MANUFACTURING EMISSIONS IN JUST ONE YEAR. COMMUNITY IMPACT: OPERATIONS UTILIZE MEGA-DATA CENTERS THAT ACTIVELY POLLUTE AND PLACE A HEAVY ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN ON HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. GEMINI (GOOGLE) FOOTPRINT: TO FUEL GEMINI, GOOGLE PERMANENTLY DRAINS UP TO A QUARTER OF LOCAL MUNICIPAL WATER SUPPLIES IN DROUGHT-STRICKEN TOWNS, TRIGGERS UTILITY HIKES, AND STRATEGICALLY BUILDS MASSIVE DATA CENTERS IN HIGHLY VULNERABLE, WATER-SCARCE AGRICULTURAL VALLEYS. META AI GRID STRAIN: A SINGLE PLANNED PROJECT WILL DRAIN THREE TIMES MORE ELECTRICITY THAN THE ENTIRE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS. WATER DEPLETION: DATA CENTERS PERMANENTLY EXTRACT OVER 670 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER A YEAR DIRECTLY FROM LOCAL MUNICIPAL AND NATURAL SOURCES. GROK (XAI) ATMOSPHERE: TRAINING JUST ONE VERSION OF THE MODEL RELEASED THE SAME AMOUNT OF CARBON POLLUTION AS A COMMERCIAL JET FLYING NONSTOP FOR THREE YEARS. RESOURCE GRABBING: COOLING THE MACHINERY SWALLOWED 300 OLYMPIC-SIZED SWIMMING POOLS WORTH OF WATER, WHILE THE FACILITY RELIES ON 35 UNLICENSED METHANE TURBINES THAT DEGRADE LOCAL AIR QUALITY. OPENAI (CHATGPT) DAILY RESOURCE DRAIN: SCALED UP, DAILY USAGE EVAPORATES ENOUGH FRESHWATER TO MEET THE ANNUAL DRINKING NEEDS OF 1.2 MILLION PEOPLE, REQUIRING A FOREST THE SIZE OF CHICAGO JUST TO ABSORB THE CARBON. LOCAL STRAIN: JUST 15 SIMPLE PROMPTS GUZZLE HALF A LITER OF CLEAN WATER, WITH TWO-THIRDS OF THESE DATA CENTERS INTENTIONALLY BUILT IN REGIONS ALREADY SUFFERING FROM SEVERE WATER SCARCITY. GRID OVERLOAD: TRAINING THE SYSTEM PULLED ENOUGH POWER FROM THE ELECTRICAL GRID TO RUN A MAJOR METROPOLITAN CITY LIKE SAN FRANCISCO FOR THREE FULL DAYS. Watch the video version of Ghost of a Podcast on Jessica's Patreon or YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/jessicalanyadoo/videos 📍 Find loads of extras including mentorship + a monthly bonus episode of Ghost only on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JessicaLanyadoo 🔮 Learn with Jessica, get her astrology book, and find your free weekly horoscope at https://www.lovelanyadoo.com/ 🩷 Get Astrology for Real Relationships here: https://marcusbooks.com/search?q=lanyadoo 📕 👀 Track transits like a pro! Astrology for Days is available at astrologyfordays.com 🏳️‍⚧️Resources for & to support trans safety + care: https://tranzmission.org/ https://transrescue.org https://transsafety.fund https://www.blacktranstravelfund.com