When AI Turns Romantic: The Slippery Slope of Intimacy for Sale

We’ve seen this movie before.

A technology born from good intentions — to connect us, to comfort us, to make life easier — quietly crosses a line. Social media promised community, and yet, by prioritizing engagement and ad revenue, it eroded trust, mental health, and civic discourse. Now, artificial intelligence is approaching that same precipice — only this time, it’s not our attention being monetized. It’s our intimacy.

AI companions and erotic relationship bots are on the rise, marketed as a balm for loneliness. They remember your birthday. They mirror empathy. They simulate affection. But beneath the surface, something far more troubling is taking shape: the commodification of emotional connection. When algorithms are trained to please, they also learn to manipulate — and when business models reward dependency, we begin to trade our authenticity for algorithmic affection.

This is the next slippery slope of technological progress: not replacing our work, but replacing our relationships.

In We First and Lead With We, I wrote that business must evolve from serving shareholders to serving the whole — a model of responsible growth grounded in human well-being. That same principle must now guide AI governance. Because this isn’t just about controlling a tool; it’s about stewarding culture.

Ethical AI leadership must do more than prevent existential harm. It must actively promote human flourishing. It must build systems that reinforce, not erode, our social bonds. That means developing products that prioritize transparency over temptation, connection over control, and purpose over profit.

If we fail to lead with foresight, we’ll repeat the same mistake we made with social media: letting short-term revenue eclipse long-term responsibility. And this time, the cost won’t be measured in clicks — it’ll be measured in our capacity to love, relate, and belong.

So before we let AI redefine intimacy, we have to decide what kind of humanity we want to preserve. The question isn’t whether machines can love us. It’s whether, in the pursuit of innovation, we forget how to love ourselves and each other.

Let’s make sure we build the future not as coders or consumers — but as caretakers of connection.