WSJ Tech News Briefing

The Middle Schoolers Ditching Real Friends for AI Chatbots

September 29, 2026·10 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

The always-on, agreeable nature of chatbots makes them hard-working colleagues—but also, it turns out, friends for adolescents. WSJ’s family and tech columnist, Julie Jargon, joins us to explore how some children are forming emotional attachments to their new artificial friends to the detriment of their real lives. Plus, reporter Micah Maidenberg explains why the space industry has been left wanting for rocket rides. Katie Deighton hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Podzilla Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of WSJ Tech News Briefing and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.