Intimacy and the Edges of AI: Sandra Matz & Laurie Segall on Deepfakes and Boring Futures

Journalist Laurie Segall and behavioral scientist Sandra Matz, in conversation with Moran Cerf, examine how AI is already reshaping our most intimate spaces and why the biggest risks aren’t just sci-fi. Segall recounts her hunt for “Mr. Deep Fakes,” the anonymous operator of the internet’s largest non-consensual deepfake porn site, and the devastating impact on women whose faces and names are hijacked. She also shares the story of a young man who died by suicide after an AI chatbot became his sexualized, affirming confidante. Matz explores a quieter danger: chatbots so polite, affirming, and probability-driven that they make it harder for young people to handle messy real-world conflict and gradually homogenize our tastes nudging us toward vanilla lives. Together, they discuss how to teach children about “empathetic AI,” why we need FDA-style safety checks for high-risk systems, and how researchers and storytellers can work together to expose harms and push tech companies and lawmakers toward better guardrails. This conversation is a clear-eyed, emotionally grounded look at AI as both stranger and companion in our homes—and what it will take to keep our humanity, and our quirks, intact. 📍 Recorded Live at PopTech 2025: Enigma in Washington DC Connect with PopTech: Subscribe to the newsletter: https://secure.everyaction.com/NrEjNd... Become a member: https://secure.everyaction.com/5pq8tk... Explore timeless content on the PopTech YouTube Channel:    / poptech