Teen boys are choosing AI girlfriends over real ones for 'maximum control, zero rejection'—experts say it could make them unemployable | Fortune

House-of-Raven · 2026-04-25T04:48:29+00:00

Is this the same one where 1 in 5 boys reported knowing a person who used an AI companion? Because if so, it means this article is already running an over generalized and exaggerated narrative.

demiurge_abraxas · 2026-04-25T05:10:11+00:00

This is absolutely ridiculous and anyone with two brain cells to rub together could clearly see why.

They aren't choosing having an AI girlfriend over a real girlfriend, they are choosing having an AI girlfriend over having no girlfriend at all. It's functionality is singularly as an approximation of the actual desire in question (i.e. having a real girlfriend).

Anyone can clearly see this immediately when we're talking about women with AI boyfriends, but God forbid we show even the slightest amount of emotional charity to romantically unsuccessful young men 🙄

(As an aside, what about men with AI boyfriends? I feel like that gets a pass given the history of computer science tbf)

volatile-solution · 2026-04-25T05:02:57+00:00

isn't it what they wanted? men leaving them alone? rejection of relationship from men?

then what are they concerned for?

MelissaMiranti · 2026-04-25T06:06:38+00:00

Naturally they have to talk about "control" to make these kids out to be rapists, even though it's a chat program, not a person.

whoisaname · 2026-04-25T06:53:18+00:00

Ugh, the phrasing in the headline (and the quote) is such click bait crap. "Maximum control..." When the reality is just not dealing with games being played with their emotions, manipulative bullying, gossip about them, unnecessary embarrassment, etc.

And the study and assumptions from it are flawed too. I know someone that knows someones, but I don't know who that someone is sort of thing, and let's count that as data in a very specific way even though the info provided never suggested as such.

And then there is the fact that anyone that is actually doing this is not much different than the teen in the 80s or 90s that just didn't have a girlfriend and only cared to play DnD with their buddies in their parent's basement.

On the bright side of this, maybe these AI bots are providing some level of therapy and listening to these boys' emotions since no one else seems to give a damn about those.

ETA: Not really sub related, but the article is kind of laughable as well in that some of the commentary in the article is still in lala land in thinking that jobs are gotten by firm handshake and name dropping. Maybe like 2% (total guess bs, just like the article) are like that if you know know someone, but otherwise you're just like everyone else stuck in the Linked/Indeed AI review Matrix of Hell.

AdOtherwise3824 · 2026-04-25T08:50:27+00:00

funny how they are trying to frame it as "control", when boys themselves say "at least AI doesn't judge me and CARES TO REPLY"

KPplumbingBob · 2026-04-25T10:13:39+00:00

They are mad when boys/men approach, they are mad when they go their own way. It's impossible to win. As if it's not enough that a man who can't get a girlfriend is considered a "loser", where everything is his fault of course. Now him chatting with a bot is considered problematic. They must put as negative spin on it as possible, implying they want to "control" women. The problem can't be that they are lonely and can't actually find someone, nope.

FourEaredFox · 2026-04-25T06:47:00+00:00

Isnt there a recent study that suggests 75% of young women have unfavorable views about men?

Pretty sure these young men arent looking for control. Simply being seen as "favorable" is an absolute minimum when deciding who to be in a relationship.

How is rampant sexism employable but AI companions isnt?

UnarmedRespite · 2026-04-25T05:57:42+00:00

Not even the second-order linked article links the actual study. Journalism is dead

Uva_Fresca · 2026-04-25T05:35:41+00:00

This is very interesting because I've noticed its actually almost 50/50 te amount on both genders to use AI as lovers. Its ridiculous how fake information gets published just to get numbers and pile hate on men.

Initial_Zebra100 · 2026-04-25T08:22:36+00:00

Ragebait fear mongering article. Will definitely get used as some excuse for misogyny. Except a growing number of women are using Ai in different forms as well. Will certain groups judge them equally as harshly?

Alternative-Tax7318 · 2026-04-25T05:41:28+00:00

By 'maximum control, zero rejection', it means having a gf that isn't mean to or tries to control everything you do.

Rare-Discipline3774 · 2026-04-25T05:45:42+00:00

They prefer it because society has told boys, already lower than 2nd class citizens, that they are privileged, but also predators, and every interaction with the opposite sex can lead to permanent damage if even a single social que no matter how minor is made.

Ai doesn't go gossip about how the male looked over his shoulder the wrong way, and doesn't post it on social media, or go to the administration office to file a formal complaint or have their parents do it

Ravenblade727 · 2026-04-25T09:14:53+00:00

The only perspective that I could understand anyone caring about this would be out of concern for the young men involved and how sad it is for them. Beyond that, no one has any basis to worry about this and i do not get the fuss.

These young men are very probably going to opt out of dating altogether, especially if AI is giving them sufficient validation. If that threatens feminism or women in general then that's their issue. That's the same deal men have had for the past generation or two, makes sense that they're going to turn to other things in the end.

ExternalGreen6826 · 2026-04-25T07:34:17+00:00

Nah not defending this That line “maximum control” sounds real sus and is giving me the bejeebees 😟😬

lemons7472 · 2026-04-25T07:47:36+00:00

Look man, it’s not my fault that I and other boys and young men think that chatbots are interactive and anime women look cute, blame the animators and makers of these chatbots!

But jokes aside, I’m not sure why academic and news teams take it so seriously that yes, some guys talk to chatbots, me included.

Why do article writers use that of all things as a means to single out men or boys? Articles like this are not written in good faith for the intent of encouraging interacting with those boys or helping them, these are articles are instead used as a mean to try and fear monger them.

In reality, the people using these bots are not harming anyone nor have an intent to harm based off of a bot alone.

t’s not for “maximum control” any more than a video game is, (not unless your one of the few people that unironically believe that GTA5/RDR2 is a “incel dream”) and it’s mostly private, or at least the average person has no knowledge or business in the fact that someone else chats with a chatbot within a fictonal setting.

UganadaSonic501 · 2026-04-25T08:46:32+00:00

Yes cuz ghost jobs has NOTHING to do with unemployment rates,or just the economy as a whole,like my mother who has a college degree for cooking(chef)couldn't even get a single call of her 40 sent resumes where I live,TOTALLY has nothing to do with anything economic,cultural,or just the garbage work ethos setup,nah so much easier to blame it on men and boys,I could go on and on but I'm preaching to the choir here,but still pisses me off seeing this blatant nonsense in real time wtf

AnnonymousXXX · 2026-04-25T16:15:42+00:00

I thought feminists wanted us to leave them alone?🤔🤔🤔

lifebeginsat9pm · 2026-04-26T03:39:05+00:00

Remember folks, women choose AI boyfriends because men are horrible, but men choose AI girlfriends because they can’t say no.

Mdragoon88 · 2026-04-25T13:57:15+00:00

Despite the context, focusing on what you can control and avoiding situations where you can get hurt are completely understandable behavior. What this has to do with employment is the part that is confusing me.

eldred2 · 2026-04-25T17:32:26+00:00

Yes, happy people are harder to exploit.

Motanul_Negru · 2026-04-25T15:21:24+00:00

"Experts", "one professor"... someone ought to get sued into early retirement over posting this dreck. And the LLM that probably wrote most of it should be deleted. While we're at it, investigate this wannabe Forbes clone site.

Edit: Ok they start giving out names and institutions later on at least but that's not enough to salvage the article.

Gayfunguy · 2026-04-25T16:08:00+00:00

What does talking to a chat bot have to do with being employable? Oh they wont accept abuse so therefor they wont be able to work anywhere? There are so many things that are wrong with this.

BloomingBrains · 2026-04-25T19:11:08+00:00

Assuming this is true, would it even be any surprise? So many "progressives" attack men and call them evil, talk about how they'd rather choose a bear, etc. Of course boys/men are going to choose AI. These are crap, undoubtedly, but they still offer better companionship and affection than most women can provide.

I think you can easily spin this around and say that modern manhaters can't even compete with chat GPT.

SlowAssignments · 2026-04-26T11:20:58+00:00

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This is never said of women.

Trancetastic16 · 2026-04-26T00:32:08+00:00

This is just natural selection, men leaving women alone and going their own way as bad-faith Progressives demanded.

Since a recent survey showed young women have a more negative view of men, why wouldn’t lonely young men prefer Bots when the real women are so culturally hostile that a machine is doing a better job at helping men feel fulfilled?

The article’s research is a 1 in 5 stat used to push it as a bigger deal than it is to slander young men’s loneliness as only being an issue because it’s “bad for the economy” - proving the point that men need to stay away from participating in such an unethical society and the women who knowingly uphold it.

snippychicky22 · 2026-04-28T23:49:29+00:00

remember dudes, your worth is not dictated by what you can do for women, its what you can do for yourself

mmmmmmfoodyumyumyum · 2026-04-26T07:02:44+00:00

who writes this shit?

LoganCaleSalad · 2026-04-26T04:27:20+00:00

And absolutely zero talk of all the women, many of them married, that do the same for the same reasons. The double standards can't stand. We're heading into a very dark period in our history.

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Turbulent-Raise4830 · 2026-04-26T09:55:42+00:00

If you want it reversed speak out against this and against this online culture , your first sentence shows you want to use this to justs toke further devision.

FatboySmith2000 · 2026-04-25T10:00:37+00:00

What's the point? Ill never understand this desire to want to control another human like this.

Title	Teen boys are choosing AI girlfriends over real ones for 'maximum control, zero rejection'—experts say it could make them unemployable \| Fortune
Author	Empty_Commission_159
Upvotes	143
Comments	100
Date	April 24, 2026 5:59 PM UTC (2 months ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/LeftWingMaleAdvocates
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/LeftWingMaleAdvocates/comments/1sun6rn/teen_boys_are_choosing_ai_girlfriends_over_real/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/LeftWingMaleAdvocates/teen-boys-are-choosing-ai-girlfriends-over-real.1578832 https://theredarchive.com/post/1578832

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