Conservative commentator Matt Walsh has raised concerns about young people turning to artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots for regular conversations and emotional support. In a post on X on October 14, 2026, Walsh questioned what could happen if people began spending much of their day talking to AI instead of building connections with other people. His comments followed a post describing a passenger who asked ChatGPT a simple question about bringing Cava on a flight but then became deeply involved in a conversation with the chatbot.
Matt Walsh Questions the Growing Bond Between Young People and AI Chatbots
Walsh shared his concerns after reposting a post from the X account @normalboy. The original post described a passenger asking ChatGPT whether he could bring Cava, a fast-casual restaurant chain, onto a flight. The passenger then became involved in a longer conversation with the chatbot.For Walsh, the incident pointed to a bigger concern about how people use AI in their daily lives. He argued that some young people already treat chatbots like friends and spend long periods talking to them.“We need to face the fact that there’s already a huge number of people, especially younger people, who talk to AI like it’s their friend and carry on near-constant conversations with it. What happens when a critical mass of people spend most of their day bonding and communicating with an inhuman algorithm controlled by a trillion-dollar tech company? Nobody knows. Most of the dystopian sci-fi writers never even envisioned a scenario this bleak. And our leaders have apparently no interest in trying to prevent any of this from happening. Really grim stuff,” Walsh wrote on X.His main concern was not simply that people were using AI tools. Instead, he questioned what might happen if people began relying on chatbots for companionship and regular conversations. He also raised concerns about the power of large technology companies that develop and control these systems.Walsh did not provide evidence showing how many young people have formed close bonds with AI chatbots. His post instead expressed concern about a possible future in which these interactions become a major part of everyday life.
Matt Walsh Has Also Raised Concerns About AI Taking Jobs and Changing Creative Work
Walsh’s latest comments follow earlier criticism of AI and its growing role in society. He has questioned its possible effects on jobs, human relationships, and creative industries, including film, music, and advertising.On October 8, Walsh reacted to research published by Anthropic on September 30. The report, titled What Can Robots Do?, examined the physical tasks robots could perform and the potential effect of combining robotics with large language models. The findings discussed the difference between tasks technology could perform and those it could carry out at a competitive cost.Walsh used the research to question whether technology companies should have so much influence over changes that could affect millions of workers. He argued that people had little say in how these technologies might reshape their lives.He has also criticized AI-generated entertainment. In December 2025, he spoke out against McDonald’s AI-generated Christmas advertisement, questioning its artistic value. The production studio defended the project, saying human creators had spent weeks developing prompts and refining the shots.Walsh also criticized AI-generated music, arguing that computer-made songs could threaten human creativity. His objections extend beyond whether AI can produce realistic images or music. He has questioned whether technology can replace the human experiences and creative choices that give art its meaning.His October 14 post returned to another part of the debate: how AI might affect people’s relationships. While chatbots can answer questions and hold conversations, Walsh questioned what could happen if people increasingly treated them as substitutes for human connection. His post raised that concern without establishing what the long-term effects of such relationships will be.
