David Futrelle

I‘m a freelance writer and cultural critic living in Chicago, with two awesome cats (pictured below, slightly greasy with eardrop residue).

I’ve spent years writing about the odd corners of digital life, from the rise of the manosphere to AI romance. My work has appeared in Slate, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vice, The Cut, NPR, Salon, and many other outlets. A lifetime ago, I was books and culture editor at In These Times. And I was a staff writer at Money magazine, where I wrote mostly about psychology and tech investing.

We Hunted the Mammoth skewered misogyny and online hate from 2010-2025. It built a fiercely loyal readership, earned me a New York Times profile, and helped shape public understanding of the manosphere years before most people had even heard the word.

Once upon a time I spawned the viral hit blog Confused Cats Against Feminism.

In recent years I have pivoted to writing about AI and AI romance in particular; some of this writing can be found on my Substack (now on hiatus) called My AI Obsession.

Here are some selected clips:

Why the Internet Can’t Stop Calling ChatGPT a “Clanker” (Slate)

Your Chatbot Might Be Completely Sick of Your Crap (Slate)

People are having sex with ChatGPT (My AI Obsession)

Can a companion bot designed for sex really give consent? (My AI Obsession)

I asked AI to Create a New Yorker Cartoon for Me. It Didn’t Go So Well. (My AI Obsession)

Robert Aaron Long apparently thought he was the victim of his own desire. He’s not alone. (Washington Post)

The Dark Corners of the Internet that Spawned Ideas Like ‘Enforced Monogamy’ (Vice)

When a Mass Murderer Has a Cult Following (The Cut)

I’m also a writing coach specializing in writer’s block. If you’re feeling stuck, I can help to get you productive again—and teach you techniques that will enable you to unblock yourself in the future. If you’re struggling to figure out what you want to say, I can be your sounding board and brainstorming partner. I can help you to develop a regular writing habit and serve as an accountability partner to keep you on track. For more details, and to set up a free half-hour consultation, see here.

For more about We Hunted The Mammoth, see the Mammoth FAQ.

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Here, as promised, are my cats, early in their careers as cats. Yes, they are much cuter than me.