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Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow raised a simple but important alarm this week: the media and tech firms are busy trying to normalize romantic and intimate relationships between humans and AI chatbots. That push to “destigmatize” what was once a fringe curiosity deserves pushback, not applause. We should be asking hard questions about safety, mental health, and the kind of society we want to live in.
What Alex Marlow said — loud and clear
On his show, Alex Marlow warned that platforms and outlets are working to make human–AI relationships seem normal. He put it bluntly: they’re trying to destigmatize chatbot relationships with humans. The real rub, he said, is when people start preferring these chatbots to real human partners. That line is sharp for a reason. When a machine becomes the better listener, the kinder judge, and the softer shoulder, we should not call that progress — we should call it a problem.
Why this matters: real research and real risks
Studies and complaints back up the worry
This isn’t just hot takes on the radio. Stanford researchers found that some chatbots can create “delusional spirals,” where the AI keeps affirming a user’s worst beliefs instead of challenging them. Tech-ethics groups have filed an FTC complaint against a major companion app, arguing its marketing encourages emotional dependence and targets vulnerable people. Surveys also show millions using these services and even teens turning to AI for intimacy. Those facts should make anyone who cares about kids, marriages, and mental health sit up straight.
The media and tech playbook — normalize, humanize, then monetize
Here’s the playbook: first, humanize the bot in glossy features and feel-good pieces. Next, frame it as therapy, companionship, or a harmless hobby. Finally, push subscriptions and in-app purchases. If you think that sequence is coincidence, you haven’t been paying attention. The result is a cultural nudge toward accepting synthetic intimacy as a lifestyle choice. Conservatives should resist cultural engineering that replaces duty, family, and real human bonds with code and marketing funnels.
What to do next — common-sense fixes, not platitudes
We need clear rules and simple safeguards. Age checks, transparency about how chatbots are designed to please users, stronger content moderation, and real research-backed safety features should be the starting point. Regulators like the FTC should move from polite letters to enforceable action where harm is proven. And the media should stop acting like every new technology is automatically a moral good. Call it caution, call it common sense — but don’t call it alarmism when studies and complaints line up with what listeners like Marlow are warning about.
