Vice President JD Vance declares that swiping right is leading America wrong – and AI chatbots could be our final relationship death knell.
Vice President JD Vance has taken a bold stance against dating apps like Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble, labeling them as “more destructive than we fully appreciate.” In recent discussions with Pope Leo XIV, Vance expressed grave concerns about how technology is fundamentally altering human connection, particularly among young Americans. He warns that dating apps have created a communication barrier between young men and women, while AI chatbots threaten to further isolate individuals by replacing real human interaction with artificial relationships. These technological disruptions, according to Vance, directly contribute to declining marriage rates and family formation – core societal foundations he has consistently championed.
Dating Apps: The Digital Relationship Destroyer
When did we decide that finding a life partner should involve less effort than ordering a pizza? Dating apps have transformed what was once a meaningful human pursuit into something resembling a mobile game with real people as the playing pieces. Vance isn’t mincing words about the damage these platforms are causing to America’s social fabric. “If you look at basic dating behavior among young people — and I think a lot of this is that the dating apps are probably more destructive than we fully appreciate,” Vance stated, highlighting how these technologies have fundamentally changed interpersonal dynamics in ways we’re only beginning to understand.
The Vice President points to troubling trends among young Americans who are dating less, marrying later (if at all), and forming families at historically low rates. Instead of meeting through community connections, religious institutions, or social gatherings – contexts that naturally vet potential partners and provide support systems – young people now make split-second judgments based on carefully curated profile pictures and witty one-liners. This superficial approach to finding life partners has stripped away the meaningful context that traditionally supported relationship formation and sustenance.
Communication Breakdown in the Digital Age
Remember when people actually had to speak to each other to form relationships? Apparently, that’s becoming a lost art. Vance highlighted how technology has created unprecedented barriers between young men and women. “I think part of it is technology has just for some reason made it harder for young men and young women to communicate with each other in the same way,” he observed during his discussion with Pope Leo XIV. This communication breakdown is happening at precisely the time when clear, honest communication is most needed to navigate increasingly complex social dynamics.
“There’s a level of isolation, I think, mediated through technology, that technology can be a bit of a salve. It can be a bit of a Band-Aid. Maybe it makes you feel less lonely, even when you are lonely. But this is where I think AI could be profoundly dark and negative” – JD Vance
The Vice President’s concerns extend beyond just awkward first dates. Dating apps have fundamentally altered expectations about relationships, creating a paradox of choice that leaves many feeling perpetually dissatisfied. Why work through normal relationship challenges when another potential match is just a swipe away? This disposable approach to human connection undermines the very foundations of commitment that marriage and family formation require. It’s no wonder birthrates are plummeting when young people can’t even navigate the increasingly dysfunctional dating landscape.
AI: From Dating Disaster to Relationship Replacement
If you thought dating apps were bad, wait until AI turns your romantic life into a literal science fiction dystopia. Vance’s concerns about technology reach their peak when discussing artificial intelligence, particularly chatbots designed to simulate human conversation and connection. These AI systems present an even more insidious threat to authentic relationships by potentially replacing human partners entirely. Why deal with complex human emotions when your AI companion never disagrees, never has needs, and is programmed to make you feel good?
“But what I do really worry about is does it mean that there are millions of American teenagers talking to chatbots who don’t have their best interests at heart?” – JD Vance
The Vice President’s warning hits particularly hard when considering vulnerable demographics like teenagers and young adults who are still developing their understanding of healthy relationships. These AI systems, designed by tech companies with profit motives rather than users’ psychological well-being in mind, could fundamentally reshape expectations about human connection. As AI becomes increasingly sophisticated at mimicking emotional intelligence and personal connection, the line between artificial and authentic relationships blurs dangerously. When real human interactions inevitably fail to measure up to perfectly calibrated AI responses, what happens to our capacity for genuine human connection?
A Conservative Call for Authentic Human Connection
Vance’s stance represents a thoughtful conservative approach to technology that too few are willing to articulate. Rather than blindly embracing every new digital innovation, he’s asking essential questions about their impact on our most fundamental human institutions. The family unit has been the cornerstone of civilization since time immemorial, and we’re casually allowing Silicon Valley algorithms to reshape it without serious consideration of the consequences. Perhaps it’s time we acknowledged that not every technological “advancement” represents actual progress for humanity.
While the left seems content to watch traditional social structures collapse under the weight of technological disruption, Vance’s concerns highlight the conservative imperative to protect what matters most. His dialogue with Pope Leo XIV—who drew parallels between AI’s potential impact and the Industrial Revolution—suggests a growing recognition across ideological divides that we’re facing unprecedented challenges to human connection. As dating apps and AI increasingly mediate our most intimate relationships, conservatives must lead the charge in demanding technology that enhances rather than erodes our most essential human connections.
