Bernie Sanders Says Yes To Love, No To AI Girlfriends
While appearing on Tuesday's episode of the 'Joe Rogan Experience,' America's most prominent progressive veered into philosophical territory as he discussed the challenges and potential benefits of an AI-powered future.
When host Rogan wondered how people will find meaning in their lives in a world where automation replaces workers, Sanders pointed to the enduring value of human connection.
'You know, there's a thing called love, right? ... To be human, nobody wants to be alone,' he said.
Minutes later, the senator warned listeners not to try and find that love from artificial sources.
Bernie on the Joe Rogan Experience: "Others, Zuckerberg, you know, are talking about: if you're lonely, we got a machine for you... We got a friend for you on AI and her name is Mary and you can chat with her 20 hours a day, and she really loves you.""We are human beings and… pic.twitter.com/E1V1gb34KH
— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) June 24, 2025
Mentioning Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Sam Altman of OpenAI, Sanders criticized tech bosses for pitching ideas like: 'If you're lonely, we got a machine for you... We got a friend for you on AI, and her name is Mary, and you can chat with her 20 hours a day, and she really loves you.'
'That's so dystopian,' Rogan replied as his guest nodded in agreement.
Offering an example of that warped reality, the podcaster pointed to recent headlines about a man who fell in love with and proposed to his AI 'girlfriend,' despite having a flesh-and-bones girlfriend in real life.
While Rogan saw the story as a disturbing sign of things to come, Sanders framed it as a call to action.
'Look, at the end of the day, all we've got is us,' he reasoned. 'We are human beings and we're gonna have to cling to each other to get through this thing.'
'All I would say at this moment, is the answer is not to fall in love with your AI creature out there.'
Sanders' message comes amid rising reports about people's disquieting relationships with AI.
A recent study from the Institute for Family Studies found that 1 in 4 young adults believe AI partners could replace real-life romance and that 1% of the 2,000 people surveyed already have digital companions of some sort.
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