r/technology • u/WorldTravelerBoss • Jul 15 '26

Artificial Intelligence The terrifying rise of schoolboys making AI girlfriends. Boys as young as 12 are now in romantic ‘relationships’ with chatbots, and it’s affecting how they treat girls in the real world.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/05/25/schoolboys-ai-girlfriends/
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u/blackadder554 Jul 15 '26

If misogyny and harassment is such a big daily fear for women shouldn't we be happy that male attention is going towards these chatbots instead?

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u/Wicked___K Jul 15 '26

no because those that use it (girls and boys) still live in the real world and still have to interact with others. So if things are bad already you can imagine what will happen if a new generation comes which spend their formative years destroying their ability to properly interact with others. We already know that giving toddlers ipads as entertainment has long lasting effects on their development and now our kids get further damage through social media and AI. We know its really bad but we will only see the extent of the damage in 5-15 years.