Relationships 5.0, Elyakim Kislev
Relationships 5.0, Elyakim Kislev
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Relationships 5.0
How AI, VR, and Robots Will Reshape Our Emotional Lives

Author: Elyakim Kislev

Narrator: Jonathan Todd Ross

Unabridged: 10 hr 19 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/28/2022


Synopsis

Technology is our new life partner. No longer confined to the sidelines, new interactive technologies like AI therapists, avatar friends, and robot assistants are ready to transform technology's role from basic tools of convenience to intimate elements of our social and emotional lives.

Blending science, sociology, history, and psychology, Relationships 5.0 asks how recent technological developments cause us to think differently about our family lives, love affairs, and emotional needs. It argues that we are currently living through a technological paradigm shift similar in magnitude to the preceding agricultural, industrial, and informational revolutions in human history. Thanks to the convergence of the cognitive revolution (AI), the sensorial revolution (VR and AR), and the physical revolution (robots), technology can now fulfill emotional, intellectual, and physical needs that have until now been met by other humans.

While many are still wary of human-technology companionship, Relationships 5.0 reveals that these novel interactions aren't as risky as we'd once thought, but can instead make our social and emotional lives richer and more diverse. Still, we must ask: What will the age of Relationships 5.0 look like? How should we prepare for such an age? Who might already be ready to embrace these changes, and why?

About Elyakim Kislev

Elyakim Kislev holds a PhD in sociology from Columbia University and three master's degrees in counseling, sociology, and public policy. His book Happy Singlehood: The Rising Acceptance and Celebration of Solo Living, has been translated into numerous languages and was featured on
CNN, BBC World News, and the Washington Post, among many others. Kislev is currently a faculty member in the School of Public Policy at the Hebrew University and is a regular contributor to Psychology Today, where his articles have garnered hundreds of thousands of reads and are cited frequently.


Reviews

I was hoping for a fun, pop-sci look at robots, and it was that, but only partly. The first section of the book explores the nature of human relationships from our earliest ancestors onward, and while this could be interesting, it also felt like filler, as I think most people pick up this book expec......more

Goodreads review by Rachel

The first third of this book is a rehash of civilization through the lens of relationship structures, marriage and labor division. The second third is an explainer on VR, AI chatbots and a list of companies working in the space with some personal stories thrown in. If you’re hoping I’m going to say......more

A fascinating foray into history, sociology, economics, politics, and psychology. This well-researched and highly detailed and citation-filled text explores the intricate role changes in technology have had on society and relationships within and between groups throughout history. Though, the materi......more

Goodreads review by Tom

Kislev has written a remarkable book that explores the impact of emerging technology on our future as humans. The book is about various aspects of AI and technology, including the intriguing question of whether robots will eventually replace our love life. Personally, I am very much interested in su......more