Anon (The Future of Love and Friendship in the Age of AI)

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.