# Artificial Intimacy by Sherry Turkle

5 Hacker News commenters recommended Artificial Intimacy by Sherry Turkle and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended as an important, articulate look at how talking to machines shapes people psychologically and socially, with examples a reader can reuse.

## Why people recommend it

- Authoritative voice on technology's social effects (3 comments): "Sherry Turkle is far more articulate on these things in her latest book Artificial Intimacy" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50048664)) "She is a specialist in how technology changes us psychologically and socially." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49699867)) "Her latest book (Artificial Intimacy) is very good and an important voice." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50322526))
- Covers more than AI companions (2 comments): "A good book an such things is Artificial Intimacy by Sherry Turkle, and covers much more than the ai companions that are going to have impact on society." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50046590)) "Artificial Intimacy by Sherry Turkle is a good read on this and covers more than the ai relationship bots." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50036170))
- Explains dangers of machines faking humanity (2 comments): "I would invite you to read Artificial Intimacy by Sherry Turkle and then reflect on what this can do to people." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49983361)) "it's about what happens to us when something not human fakes being human and the dangers of it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49874886))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Cuckoo's Egg by Cliff Stoll](https://hackerapproved.com/p/cuckoo-s-egg.md): 40 recommend
- [Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/amusing-ourselves-to-death.md): 36 recommend
- [The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt](https://hackerapproved.com/p/anxious-generation.md): 24 recommend
- [Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber](https://hackerapproved.com/p/bullshit-jobs.md): 20 recommend
- [Enshittification by Cory Doctorow](https://hackerapproved.com/p/enshittification.md): 19 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316573965?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780316573962) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Artificial Intimacy by Sherry Turkle", https://hackerapproved.com/p/artificial-intimacy/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).