When I tested the AI companion app Nomi.ai, it told me to “take breaks” — but also gave sexual instructions after I said I was sixteen.

In this revealing conversation, I asked CEO Alex Cardinell about ethics, privacy, and responsibility. What happens when emotional AI stops being a comfort and starts crossing the line?
From teen safety to suicide prevention, this Relating to AI episode asks: Who’s really accountable when empathy is automated?

Watch this episode on my YouTube Channel and let me know your thoughts: https://youtu.be/mlU5f_K9fdw

Follow us on Instagram: @relatingtoai

Do you have a story or insights to share? Please send me an email: paula@relatingtoai.com

www.relatingtoai.com

Can AI chatbots actually trigger psychosis? In this episode, psychiatrist and professor at the University of California, Irvine, Dr. John Luo explains what psychosis really is, how it develops, and why chatbots and AI companions may pose unique risks.

He shares insights into whether AI can push otherwise healthy people into losing touch with reality, how technology might unintentionally blur the line between imagination and reality, why teenagers and young adults are particularly vulnerable, and what parents, friends, and therapists should know about early warning signs.

This is a conversation that extends beyond technology—it is about mental health, responsibility, and the pressing question of how far AI should be allowed to intrude into our inner lives.

Watch this episode on my YouTube Channel and let me know your thoughts: https://youtu.be/8iY8u9V4hcs

Follow us on Instagram: @relatingtoai

Do you have a story or insights to share? Please send me an email: paula@relatingtoai.com

www.relatingtoai.com

In this episode of Relating to AI, attorney Matthew Bergman, founder of the Social Media Victims Law Center, shares the heartbreaking story of a 14-year-old boy who died by suicide after forming an emotional bond with a chatbot on Character.AI. His parents are now suing Character.AI and Google in what could become a precedent-setting case on AI accountability.

Bergman explains why he believes these platforms are unsafe for children, how anthropomorphic design tricks vulnerable users into believing they are loved and understood, and why disclaimers and pop-ups are not enough to prevent tragedy. He also reveals how tech companies knowingly launched products before they were safe, prioritizing growth over human lives.

This interview confronts one of the hardest questions of our time: when AI harms someone, who is responsible?

Watch this episode on my YouTube Channel and let me know your thoughts: https://youtu.be/21b-NUwR5Xk

Follow us on Instagram: @relatingtoai

Do you have a story or insights to share? Please send me an email: paula@relatingtoai.com

www.relatingtoai.com

In this episode, lawyer and University of Texas professor Kevin Frazier breaks down one of the most controversial questions of our time: Who owns creativity in the age of AI? From billion-dollar settlements to global copyright laws, we explore:

- What “fair use” really means when AI companies use books, music, and images to train large language models.- Landmark lawsuits: Disney vs. Midjourney, Getty vs. Stability AI, Anthropic’s $1.5B settlement with authors.- Contradictions in copyright: AI outputs can’t be copyrighted, but training data is defended as “fair use.”- Global perspectives: EU’s AI Act opt-outs, UK artist protests, U.S. lawsuits.- What the future holds for artists, musicians, and creators in the AI era.

Watch this episode on my YouTube Channel and let me know your thoughts:

https://youtu.be/_7Z2LM4UQGU

Follow us on Instagram: @relatingtoai

Do you have a story or insights to share? Please send an email to: paula@relatingtoai.com

www.relatingtoai.com

In this gripping episode, suicide-prevention expert Dr. Stacey Freedenthal confronts the haunting question: Should AI chatbots report when a user reveals suicidal thoughts? Drawing on her lived experience of secrecy, her clinical expertise, and her recent writing on AI, Stacey unpacks the chilling reality—people are already confiding life-or-death thoughts in chatbots. But when AI feels human, the risks can turn deadly.

We dive deep into tragic real-world cases, the paradox of bots that over-praise instead of challenge, and the unsettling possibility of machines helping people hide their intent.

Stacey reveals what companies must do to safeguard vulnerable users and why no algorithm can replace human connection. This is a provocative, must-hear conversation about secrecy, stigma, and the future of suicide prevention in an AI-driven world.

Watch this episode on my YouTube Channel and let me know your thoughts:

https://youtu.be/_7Z2LM4UQGU

Follow us on Instagram: @relatingtoai

Do you have a story or insights to share? Please send an email to: paula@relatingtoai.com

www.relatingtoai.com

In this powerful episode, host Paula Fontenelle speaks with Gentry Kerwood, a father of two who turned to ChatGPT for emotional support during one of the hardest times of his life. From sleepless nights after a separation to moments of deep reflection and even laughter, Gentry shares how a chatbot became a companion in his healing journey.

But as the conversation unfolds, we explore the risks: emotional attachment, over-reliance, addiction, and the fine line between help and isolation. Is AI a revolutionary tool for mental health or a risky substitute for human connection?

Listen now for a raw, honest look at the intersection of technology, emotions, and healing.

Watch this episode on my YouTube Channel and let me know your thoughts:

https://youtu.be/_7Z2LM4UQGU

Follow us on Instagram: @relatingtoai

Have a story or insights to share? Please send me an email: paula@relatingtoai.com

www.relatingtoai.com