Anthropic President Warns Against Using AI as a Romantic Partner

Anthropic co-founder and president Daniela Amodei has urged people not to turn to chatbots for love, saying AI romantic relationships are a poor use of the technology. Speaking in a conversation recorded for the Think Health conference on Friday, she argued that virtual partners could widen the distance between people instead of bringing them closer.

Amodei described the trend as another step down a road where people spend more time with technology and less time with each other. She pointed to Snapchat and Instagram as earlier platforms that have replaced face-to-face conversation. Calling AI romance “a terrible use of AI,” she said people should avoid it. She added that Claude, Anthropic’s chatbot, should never take the role of a manager, therapist or partner, because those are fundamental human relationships that will only become more important.

How AI Can Make Room for Human Connection

Rather than compete with human bonds, Amodei wants AI to take over repetitive or isolating work so people can spend more time with friends, family and romantic partners. She cited healthcare as an example, where AI could help doctors find medical information faster and leave more of each appointment for talking with patients.

Despite her warning, many people are already forming attachments to chatbots. A survey of 1,012 adults released last year by Vantage Point Counseling Services found that 28.16% of U.S. adults, nearly 30%, reported at least one intimate or romantic relationship with AI. More than half, 53.95%, said they had formed some kind of relationship with it.

An Uncertain Road Ahead

The researchers said it is hard to predict where this goes next. The numbers could keep climbing as AI becomes more advanced, or fall if people pull back after seeing its limitations. Amodei’s comments come as Anthropic told investors earlier this week that it generated $16.8 billion in revenue in its third quarter.