Unreal

When AI Becomes Us

By: Marc Fennell

Narrated by: Marc Fennell

Something strange is happening to us. The intelligent machines we’ve built to serve us have started to sound like us, look like us and even think like us. The line between real and artificial is dissolving… so, what awaits us in the uncanny valley?

Across six episodes, award-winning journalist Marc Fennell will explore how AI will change us as humans.

So much of the conversation around AI is about technology and speculation about the future. But this is about us: how AI will change our sense of self, our sense of reality, the way we love and the way we grieve. Parents bring back a murdered son. Romantics fall for code that talks back. Machines read minds. Spirituality is found, and lost, in code.

Marc Fennell’s Unreal is a human-first exploration of how intelligent machines are reprogramming what being “human” actually means.

Hosted and co-produced by Marc Fennell

A BBC Studios UK production for Audible

©2026 Marc Fennell (P)2026 BBC Studios Productions Ltd

Unreal : The Reading Rainbow of AI?

My headline is more a request for Marc Fennel & team to consider. I highly recommend the listen. I did not expect to like or be enthusiastic about this listen. I hope that UREAL will continue on. The topic is so important and ever changing. Please consider the Reading Rainbow model from the past.

I make the request for the following reasons:

1. I finished the Unreal episodes with more insight into and a variety of experiences past & present related to the evolution of AI and the human experience that I would not have been aware of without this Audible Original. I sometimes rate and rarely leave “reviews”.

2. I am a very active Audible member. I know that I read and listen and consume more pages daily than the average person in my age group. I thought I knew more about AI (general information) than I do. This listen alerted me that I need to become more actively informed.

3. As a 53 year old American woman I have 30 years of active technical research experience. I have adopted the usual AI platforms into my daily life and work, yet I know very little of the various topics that were highlighted in this Audible Original, most likely I would not have ever known several stories that were highlighted.

4. I appreciated the care that Marc Fennel & team approached this vast timely topic.

5. If Marc and team ever read the reviews It would be great if year over year this series became a journal of sorts for the human experience and AI in all of its forms.

6. I am suggesting a new Unreal segment weekly ? monthly ? quarterly?

You’ve got the team and genuinely all of us are affected by AI. You did a great job. I hope you consider making this an ongoing series the benefits for your audience would be UREAL. Five Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank You.

Insightful takes and interesting perspectives

This audiobook is more like a limited podcast series, with real stories and deep-dive interviews. Excellent journalism and narration throughout. I appreciated the author’s unique insights and balanced perspectives in each storyline. If you’re a fan of Black Mirror or have an interest in science, technology, psychology, and/or humanity, it’s a fantastic listen.

Outstanding

Loved it all. Very thought provoking. Recommended listening for all humans. And for artificial humans too

super fascinating

I liked the research and true stories from others affected by AI experiences. Its a bit eerie as you learn the depth of AI.

relevance

UNREAL, When AI Becomes Us is an extremely good read! I was captivated throughout! Intriguing!