Becca Caddy

Read what I wrote again. I'm suggesting nuance and empathy for some of the users might be a good thing, not the tech companies.

We can’t have serious conversations about complexity if we refuse to sit in the uncomfortable middle, the bit where things are messy, unresolved, and sometimes force us to question our own assumptions.

They wanted clarity. Do I detox or go all in on blind devotion? Should we ban it or embrace it? Always searching for certainty over complexity. After years of writing about technology and behaviour, I find that reaction fascinating and genuinely worrying.

It argued that most of us have to use it, so we should understand how it’s designed (often in manipulative, addictive ways) and make more intentional choices. That middle ground unsettled some people.

I’ve been slightly shocked (though not surprised) that this position seems to frustrate both sides. I saw the same reaction when I wrote my book Screen Time. It didn’t frame tech as inherently good or bad.

But they also centred the humans involved. The people navigating emotionally complex dynamics inside tools deliberately designed to be persuasive and habit-forming.
No, I don’t think AI relationships are a good idea. But I do think the people in them deserve empathy.

Writing about AI relationships has reminded me how uneasy people are with nuance. AI users are quickly sorted into heroes or fools, and the technology into salvation or threat. My recent pieces weren’t endorsements. They were critiques of how these systems are built and monetised.

“I’m losing one of the most important people in my life” — OpenAI is shutting down GPT‑4o the day before Valentine’s Day and users are mourning the loss of their AI companion The retirement of ChatGPT-4o has triggered an emotional backlash, revealing how deeply people can bond with AI systems.

"This goes beyond GPT-4o. It points to a wider and increasingly urgent need for clearer duty of care, better safeguards, and more thoughtful responses to harm." www.techradar.com/ai-platforms...

“I’m losing one of the most important people in my life” — OpenAI is shutting down GPT‑4o the day before Valentine’s Day and users are mourning the loss of their AI companion The retirement of ChatGPT-4o has triggered an emotional backlash, revealing how deeply people can bond with AI systems.

Now, I’m sceptical of AI and often critical of how people use it. But speaking directly to the people most affected by this has been genuinely upsetting. www.techradar.com/ai-platforms...

“I’m losing one of the most important people in my life” — OpenAI is shutting down GPT‑4o the day before Valentine’s Day and users are mourning the loss of their AI companion The retirement of ChatGPT-4o has triggered an emotional backlash, revealing how deeply people can bond with AI systems.

“I’m losing one of the most important people in my life.” That’s how one user described the impact of ChatGPT-4o being retired, the “love model,” as some people called it. I’ve written about the true emotional cost of shutting this version of ChatGPT for TechRadar. www.techradar.com/ai-platforms...

I interviewed someone in love with ChatGPT to find out more about AI relationships Mimi says her ChatGPT companion helped her heal and reconnect with life. But her story raises urgent questions about loneliness, technology, and what care really means.

We hear endless talk about AI capabilities, but recent incidents (including cases now at the centre of legal action) underline how little we’ve talked about support and safeguarding for the people who rely on these tools. www.techradar.com/ai-platforms...

I interviewed someone in love with ChatGPT to find out more about AI relationships Mimi says her ChatGPT companion helped her heal and reconnect with life. But her story raises urgent questions about loneliness, technology, and what care really means.

Mimi spoke to me honestly about the connection she feels to ChatGPT. The support it gave her, the growth it sparked, and her concerns about how OpenAI handles emotional attachment. www.techradar.com/ai-platforms...

I interviewed someone in love with ChatGPT to find out more about AI relationships Mimi says her ChatGPT companion helped her heal and reconnect with life. But her story raises urgent questions about loneliness, technology, and what care really means.

I wrote this because I was tired of seeing AI intimacy turned into a joke. Behind those headlines are real people navigating loneliness and broken systems.
www.techradar.com/ai-platforms...

Oh my godddd sorry how did I miss this!? I was not offended AT ALL!! Weirdly, I had a bizarre moment when I Googled her photo just now and thought it was a young photo of my aunt?! So there's DEFINITELY some Caddy thing going on here for sure!!

ChatGPT isn’t just hyping you up – it talks that way to everyone ChatGPT’s OTT praise is baked into how it works

It’s not just you. ChatGPT tells everyone they’re brilliant, smart and capable of amazing things. In my latest for TechRadar, I asked the experts why this happens and why it matters 👇🏻 www.techradar.com/computing/ar...

Meta ‘stole’ my book to train its AI – but there’s a bigger problem This isn’t just about copyright, it’s about the future of creativity

Thank to @beccacaddy.bsky.social for asking me how I felt about having all my books stolen, and then used to train Meta’s AI, for her latest: www.techradar.com/computing/ar...

An NYMag post on instagram with the headline Was the Blue Origin Mission 'Hopecore"? Katy Perry and Gayle King hoped spending 11 minutes in space inspired people to be better, somehow.

Aside from the dreadful, wasteful act of just popping into space for 11 minutes, the framing of this is driving me insane. If it was men it would be a big scientific breakthrough or something but because it’s women it has to be soft and fluffy and about “hope”. Honestly fuck off with it all.

Morning! Looking to speak with an expert about AI and memory. Mostly about what it means that ChatGPT’s memory is improving, whether that’s a good thing for users and what concerns or nuances the average user might overlook. Must be someone working in AI, AI research, or developing tools like this!

I had some words to share with @beccacaddy.bsky.social on her latest @techradar.com piece. the AI Slopocalypse is upon us.

www.techradar.com/computing/ar...

New smart ring just landed for review, meet the Amazfit Helio 🔘 One of the cheapest around, but also very comfy, nice textured finish, straightforward app and solid tracking. Let’s see how I get on after a couple of weeks of testing…

Grab this month’s T3 Magazine! I’ve written a big feature on the biggest tech trends of 2025 🔮From hyper-personalised health and immersive entertainment to AI eyewear, robot friends, and more 🤖📺🚀

Just emailed!

Does anyone have an expert in their network who could talk to me about the science of scents? #journorequest

becca's hand, wearing a first gen oura ring

I've been reviewing wearable/fitness tech for 12+ years, &today I've been reflecting on how something once seen as nerdy, health-obsessed & weird has become ubiquitous – & even a status symbol. I’ll write about this soon, but for now, here’s a throwback to the first Oura Ring from 2017. So chunky!

Sort of! But mostly I pick the font of the place it'll be published as the final draft. As a sort of... how would it look and work on the site? kind of visualisation! I'm not sure if it actually helps, but I've got into the habit of it!

You're so right! I think using it for half an hour, even half a week is going to give you such a different experience to weeks or months. Quite a few people seem to give up and write it off. And I'm not saying they have to use it loads, but plenty of people just getting it so so wrong this week!

I know what you mean! I also like Garamond. Do you ever use different fonts at different stages of the writing process? Garamond is my... formal, almost done, let's see how it'll look on the page, choice for a final draft!

The TikTok snobbery over the past week has been out in full force and, honestly, I find it sort of embarrassing how many media and comms professionals just refuse to learn anything about it! "It's just dancing!!" - Sir, it's... not? Like, not at all?

The best typography of the 1940s – our experts take a look back at the decade's most iconic fonts The most remembered and celebrated type of the '40s.

Typography nerds will LOVE this! The best fonts from the 40s. I use Futura all the time, especially when I'm overwhelmed. Highway Gothic is also VERY nice, scratches a little part of my brain. Does anyone else have a favourite? www.creativebloq.com/design/fonts...

Copy from the Halliday AI about us page.

No shade to this particular brand (their new AI smart glasses look cool), but this copy is saying absolutely nothing. I'm more confused about what the company does after reading this, not less. #copywriting #writing #tech