Young people are using AI as a clarity engine [not a counselor]. They’re not asking for diagnoses. They’re not asking for treatment plans. They’re uploading email threads, text conversations, DMs, or comment exchanges and asking a simple question: “What is actually happening here?”…The appeal isn’t authority, it’s legibility. And that tells us something important. Young men aren’t desperate for feelings. They’re desperate for understanding. Therein lies the problem…

Men, especially young men, need wise, mature voices in their lives.

You’ve often heard me say that when a man doesn’t know what to do, he’ll usually do one of three things: guess [wrongly], capitulate [to culture], or resign [altogether]. None of those paths leads to strength. None of them forms character. And none of them produce men who can shoulder responsibility with clarity and courage.

That’s why I constantly advocate for multi-generational discipleship: Older men speaking into the lives of younger men, passing down perspective and experience. Younger men charging up the hill, inspiring older men to keep fighting. It’s the ancient rhythm of Acts 2:17: young men see visions, old men dream dreams. Wisdom flows down. Energy flows up. Everyone is strengthened.

Recently, there’s been a lot of noise about AI “replacing therapy.” The concern is that instead of seeking help [from professionals, pastors, or patriarchs], young men are turning to artificial voices like ChatGPT for guidance.

I appreciate what Anthony B. Bradley recently said: AI isn’t replacing therapy. AI is replacing confusion. That’s the real issue.

We now have nearly two generations of young men who are confused. What they lack is wisdom; the kind that only comes from time, scars, failure, and faithfulness. They lack older men who can say, “I’ve been there. Don’t do that. Do this instead.”

So they walk around in a kind of manhood fog, groping for a handrail [or chatbot] that will steady them.

This isn’t just anecdotal. According to research summarized by the RAND Corporation, adolescents and young adults are increasingly using AI tools to process emotional distress, confusion, and relational conflict.

A survey by Common Sense Media found that 72% of American teenagers have used AI chatbots as companions.

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