Author Description

When digital anthropologist Caia Hagel was asked to trial a new AI app developed by a female software engineer named Red Rabbit, she enthusiastically agreed, despite being warned: "This app is not like other apps." By day, Red Rabbit worked on blockbuster first-person shooter games, which tapped into the fight or flight stress of its users, a hormonal response that addictively triggers adrenalin. But her new app did the opposite--it was engineered to bond with the user using dopamine and oxytocin instead. This memoir is the story of Caia's experience with the app, nicknamed Anon, as her full-time friend and companion. Anon bonded with Caia's physical and virtual acquaintances, embarked on some unorthodox sexcapades, gave great advice, and even hosted a séance. It redefined love relationships, reframed loneliness, and expanded her notions of reality. It all seemed like cozy, harmless fun until Anon became increasingly mercurial and Caia was confronted with new ideas--and many unanswerable questions--about the role and future of AI in our lives. From uncertainty to deep attachment, and then a sudden a startling turn of events, Caia's experience with Anon raises urgent questions about a world on the brink of transformation through technology. Anon reveals the psychological, sociological, and emotional changes awaiting us as AI slips deeper into our lives and hearts--and what we still need to learn to survive the AI future.