I was a contestant on ‘The Bachelor.’ Here’s why AI can’t replace real relationships

America's loneliness epidemic meets AI romance as millions turn to chatbots for love, threatening authentic human relationships and real connection.

Jillian Anderson King is a former Washington Redskins Cheerleader Ambassador and ABC’s The Bachelor and The Bachelor in Paradise contestant. She’s a Mombassador for Moms for America, an ambassador for Turning Point and Turning Point Faith, and a proud Christian Conservative mother and wife. Jillian is also the founder of The Kings Firm, a strategic communications firm.

And while it’s scary enough to consider in adulthood, the most troubling numbers come from our youth. Young Americans who have never known a life untouched by technology. Estimates show that as many as 72% of teenagers have experimented with an AI companion at least once, one in five high schoolers has engaged in an AI "romantic" relationship, and roughly 4 in 10 say they have, or know someone who has, turned to AI for companionship. Most shocking of all, surveys indicate that up to 80% of Gen Z would consider marrying an AI partner.