Bill Maher slams AI chatbots as overly flattering on Real Time show

“Real Time” host Bill Maher tore into AI technology on his show Friday, lampooning chatbots for being overly conciliatory to their human users in a searing commentary for his “New Rules” segment.

“People don’t read anymore, they ask their Chatbot the question and sometimes it’s right and sometimes it isn’t. But what it always is, is a f–king a– kisser. You literally can not ask it a question so stupid it won’t respond ‘great question.’ ‘Can I drink milk if it’s lumpy? Great question!'” Maher opined. 

The comedian went on to blame America’s “extremely needy” population for demanding they be “emotionally j–ked off“ by their consumer products. Maher, who has long lambasted woke culture, throwing stones at the anti-fat-shaming movement, lack of free speech on American college campuses, and trigger warnings, went on to say that technology needlessly praising their owners for performing mundane tasks had become endemic in American society. 

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“Your Apple watch fitness app tells you you smashed it today The self checkout screen says wow, you’re a super saver On Waze, it leads you directly to your destination, and when you get there, it congratulates you. When you go to the ATM on your birthday, fireworks on the screen, just win the Super Bowl, f–k. Duolingo, that’s the app that teaches you a foreign language, never stops feeding you a steady stream of deranged brown-nosing like, you’re unstoppable. You’re on fire. On fire? I just conquered Por Favor, I’m not Benson Boone,” Maher said. 

“Does everyone really need this much smoke blown up their ass that they can’t go five minutes without being told how great they are by the toaster?” he asked. 

Maher claimed that Americans’ reliance on products that function as “sycophants and yes-men“ is reminiscent of President Trump. 

Maher recently met with Trump at a high-profile dinner in April at the White House also attended by Kid Rock and UFC CEO Dana White. After the meeting, Maher claimed that Trump was “much more self-aware than he let on in public.”

“You can hate me for it, but I’m not a liar. Trump was gracious and measured, and why isn’t that in other settings- I don’t know, and I can’t answer, and it’s not my place to answer. I’m just telling you what I saw, and I wasn’t high,” Maher said after the meeting. 

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The “Club Random” podcast host proceeded to lament that Gen Z is increasingly embracing the idea of having intimate relationships with AI chatbots. He claimed that relationships were being ruined by AI and cited a Joy AI survey that found that 80% of Gen Z respondents said they would be open to marrying an AI. Maher highlighted Elon Musk’s chatbot ‘Annie’ for taking ‘a– kissing to a whole new level.”

“No wonder we see so many articles written about how relationships are being ruined because one partner or the other falls in love with their AI companion. Because why listen to some other human who nags you and has needs and thoughts different than yours when everything else in your life is set on worship?…They’ve created the perfect hooker for a generation that’s too afraid to talk to a real one,” Maher said.