In the September 15, 2025, edition of the magazine, New Yorker, I read an article entitled, “Bot Meets Girl” (written by Patricia Marx,) which I found distressing. The article stated that a growing number of adults are looking for digital love. It was noted that a recent report by Brigham Young University’s Wheatley Institute found that 19% of adults in the United States have chatted with an A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) romantic partner.

Those who do so believe that they can form a deep emotional bond with a chatbot (the AI “partner”.) According to this study, 80% of these individuals stated that they could imagine marrying one of these bots, and 75% felt that relationships with A.I. companions could fully replace human couplings.

I thought in response, “WHAT?!?! Who would think such a thing?” I found myself feeling bad for the loneliness that must be present in the lives of certain people.

Pope Francis stated in different settings, “Let us pray that the use of the new technologies will not replace human relationships, will respect the dignity of the person and will help us face the crises of our times…A.I. should assist the human person in fulfilling his or her vocation…human dignity must never be violated for the sake of efficiency (meaning efficiency or convenience are never valid reasons to diminish or compromise what it means to be human)…A.I. must be ordered to the human person (meaning technology must serve human beings, never the other way around)...the very use of the word ‘intelligence’ in connection to A.I. can prove misleading…A.I. should not be seen as an artificial form of human intelligence, but as a product of it”.

May we govern ourselves accordingly and reach out to those burdened by loneliness to let them know that they are valued and loved. May God give each of us this grace.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek