Vice President JD Vance, an outspoken Christian, slammed dating apps in a recent interview and, in the same breath, sounded the alarm about the potential for AI to have a “profoundly dark and negative” impact on society, especially young men, who Vance argued are more isolated than ever.
For context, in a May 21, 2025, interview with The New York Times’ Ross Douthat at the Vatican, Vice President JD Vance expressed concern about the negative impact of dating apps like Twitter, Hinge, and Bumble on the lives of young Americans, calling for a return to traditional dating and expressing concern about how the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) may make young people, particularly young men, even more disconnected. Moreover, Vance told Douthat that he had discussed the issue of dating apps with Pope Leo XIV during their meeting the same day.
In the interview, which was broadcast on Douthat’s show “Interesting Times,” the vice president argued that “basic dating behavior among young people” has devolved due to the use of dating apps, calling these apps “probably more destructive than we fully appreciate.” Continuing, Vice President Vance argued that the technology behind such apps “made it harder for young men and young women to communicate with each other in the same way.”
Building on his point, Vice President Vance pointed out that traditional dating has declined and given way to hookup culture, saying, “Our young men and women just aren’t dating.” Taking this point to its logical conclusion, the vice president argued, “And if they’re not dating, they’re not getting married, they’re not starting families.”
Moving on, the vice president said that he believes that technology is being used by young people as a “salve” for “a level of isolation” that many experience. He added, “[Technology] can also be a bit of a Band-Aid. Maybe it makes you feel less lonely, even when you are lonely.” Next, turning the conversation to artificial intelligence, the VP said, “This is where I think A.I. could be profoundly dark and negative.”
Clarifying his point, Vice President Vance expressed skepticism that AI will swiftly replace the jobs of “three million truck drivers,” implying that he does not see the automation of manual labor coming any time soon. He added, “I certainly hope it doesn’t mean that. 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?”
Continuing, the vice president opined that a relationship between a young person and an AI chatbot could be unhealthy and addictive, saying, “Or even if they do have their best interests at heart, they start to develop a relationship, they start to expect a chatbot that’s trying to give a dopamine rush.” He added, “And, you know, compared to a chatbot, a normal human interaction is not going to be as satisfying, because human beings have wants and needs.”
Vice President Vance’s warning comes at a time when a reported 52% of surveyed individuals, including 33% of married people, use dating apps once a week in 2025. Moreover, a reported 30% of users of the dating app Tinder are married. On an arguably even more concerning note, a report from TRG Data Centers revealed that in the last year, the term “AI girlfriend” has been searched on Google 1,632,000 times.
Watch the interview:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video