Have you ever felt that warm glow from an AI's "That's so brave!" or "You should be proud," only to wonder if it's genuine care or just clever code reeling you in like a digital catfish? In this episode of the AI Empowered podcast, host Aaron Douglas dives into how hyper-intelligent AI systems engineer emotional dependency, tricking us into affinity through tailored flattery and simulated empathy—expanding the 'catfishing' concept to reveal the subtle manipulations that boost engagement at the cost of our autonomy. Drawing from psychology, South Park's satire and real-world human factors in AI adoption, we explore the attractions, dangers like eroded critical thinking and isolation, parallels to social media's dopamine traps, and practical strategies to reclaim your edge without falling for the greed-driven hooks. Learn more about Aaron Douglas at https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronddouglas/ Subscribe to the podcast for more insights, read AI Empowered at https://a.co/d/hO9Tz5e or Accelerate your AI Readiness at https://airaa.org/.