How People Are Using AI to Grieve, Love and Connect | Jennifer Cearns | TED

Many people fear AI is eroding our humanity, replacing real relationships with synthetic ones that leave us lonelier than ever. Digital anthropologist Jennifer Cearns believes the opposite may be true. After talking to hundreds of people who turn to AI for grief, love, friendship and more, she pokes holes in this familiar fear — and hints at what these strange new relationships can teach us about ourselves. (Recorded at TED2026 on April 16, 2026)

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