Why AI Chatbots Are a Rival to the Family (with Michael Toscano)

Artificial intelligence systems, particularly large language models designed to simulate human relationality, pose a fundamental threat to the family unit by attempting to hijack the emotional and psychological development of children. Michael Toscano, Director of the Family First Technology Initiative, argues that this conflict represents a "double movement," where society must organically reassert its rights to agency and intelligence against a monopolistic technological regime. Rather than accepting the inevitability of AI-driven progress, communities and policymakers should implement common-sense safeguards to protect the family’s role as the primary locus of human formation. By prioritizing interpersonal dimensions and resisting the commodification of human desires, society can mitigate the risks of AI, ensuring that technology serves human well-being rather than replacing the essential, challenging, and loving bonds that define human life.