When I was a baby technology reporter, inspired by Michael Lewis’ ability to fashion a thriving career without touching the topic of romance and also some kind of feminist desire to go against the usual Carrie Bradshaw-esque writer grain and focus on business rather than my personal relationships, I decided to draw a “content” boundary between my private intimate encounters and public work.

Today, I break that vow.

I have been selected by the culture to mount a defence of the sensual, beautiful, tender make out session.

Here’s the situation. Since ChatGPT became the fastest app to hit 1 billion users, we’ve been talking about AI so much my concern is that oxygen has been stolen from another topic that has frankly done more for the survival of humanity to date than any LLM: making love.

And you know things are slightly f**ked when even Pope Leo, one of the key living figureheads for the Catholic Church, has to pull up and drop an encyclical titled “On Safeguarding The Human Person In The Time of Artificial Intelligence”, with a specific subheading called “Remaining Human” to provide a timely 21st Century reminder about what makes us human.

For Pope Leo, much of his argument on what it takes to preserve human dignity and flourishing hinged on social justice, the evils of potential mass unemployment, and an invitation to Silicon Valley’s top product thinkers to wholeheartedly consider human rights alongside innovation. I will stand spiritual shoulder to shoulder with Leo and put Sam Altman and Dario Amodei on notice to add true human flourishing includes the right to a really good makeout session.

Zooming out, this trendline away from the sensual can’t be pinned purely on AI developments. In late 2026, I went to dinner with a bunch of amazing Gen Z friends and was teased for being an alcoholic because I drank two palomas. Two. At dinner. On a Friday night! At a Mexican restaurant!?

If they’re not drinking, what else are they missing out on?

Now I appreciate alcohol is not healthy and some people must avoid it, but this whole not drinking thing is to my mind a metonym for a broader puritanical tech optimisation streak rippling through human culture. We must resist while we can.

The kind of resistance I’m calling for is fundamentally fun: lean into the carnal, the sensual, the sloppy, the imperfect. Less Prompt Cowboy. More smoochy smooch. Feels good, right?

To support my case I summon Jacob Elordi, who told a reporter when asked about AI:

As a human being, I have no tolerance for it … if it’s your interest, go nuts in your garage; play around, build a robot. But as far as I’m concerned, I would much rather kiss on the beach, and read a novel, and be sunburnt.

This man has made out with Margot Robbie onscreen, and Kendall Jenner in real life. In other words, this is a man of great taste.

Jordi Hays and John Coogan at TBPN ribbed this as “pick me” take, but Jacob Elordi’s professed commitment to getting salty and sexy and less forward deployed engineer is the cultural take the world needs right now. New Gold Coast KPIs just dropped: Let’s make out on the beach. Sike this is not a KPI! Literally just kissing! For fun!

And by the way, I’ve gone Gonzo on this: I’ve done my time working at a VC-backed AI startup. I speak to you not as an AI Luddite, and I’m begging that for the next window of time, when I see you in person: please, for the love of fucking God, don’t tell me how you’re using AI. Tell me about your last salty makeout session, the last time you felt truly alive in the presence of someone you love.

Or better yet, don’t tell me. Keep those finer details between you and your beloved. Pope Leo knows we still need to keep some things sacred.