As AI increasingly shapes the future of mental health care, we must ask a provocative question: Can machines truly understand human intimacy, and what happens when we let them try? This presentation explores the complex intersection of artificial intelligence, emotional intimacy, and therapeutic relationships, through the lens of sex therapy and trauma-informed practice. In a world where AI is now offering advice on relationships, consent, sexual dysfunction, and even desire, mental health professionals cannot afford to ignore its impact. From chatbots offering breakup support to AI-powered “intimacy coaches,” the line between digital assistance and emotional replacement is becoming blurred. But can an algorithm really hold space for shame, pleasure, and embodied healing? As a Registered Psychotherapist and Sex Therapist with lived experience, I bring a grounded and intersectional perspective to this rapidly evolving topic. I also lead a digital mental health agency that provides subsidized sex therapy services online, giving me firsthand experience in navigating the opportunities and ethical dilemmas of technology in intimate care. This talk will explore: AI’s Growing Role in Intimacy and Connection The rise of apps and chatbots that give advice on sex, relationships, and emotional connection. The promise: accessibility, reduced stigma, convenience. The problem: oversimplification, lack of context, and emotional flattening. Bias and Harm in AI-Generated Intimacy Advice AI trained on heteronormative, Western-centric data often reinforces gender roles, pathologizes kink, or misunderstands LGBTQ+ experiences. Intimacy requires cultural sensitivity—algorithms often lack it. Can AI Read the Room? The Limits of Machine Empathy Sex therapy is more than information—it’s relational, embodied, and deeply felt. Can AI attune to trauma responses, shame cues, or nervous system dysregulation? What are the risks when it can’t? Ethical Design for Digital Intimacy Proposals for trauma-informed, inclusive, and ethically governed AI tools that support—not simulate—therapeutic intimacy. How sex therapists, survivors, and lived-experience voices can help design better systems. The Future of Connection: Human + Machine Collaboration Envisioning a future where AI augments human connection without replacing it. Using AI to scale access while keeping intimacy sacred. This session is designed to spark fresh, necessary dialogue about how we define intimacy in a digital era, and who gets to design its future. As we develop more emotionally intelligent AI tools, we must remember: intimacy isn’t just about data, language, or pattern recognition. It’s about safety, resonance, and being seen. These are human needs that require human wisdom. This bold, thought-provoking presentation will challenge clinicians, designers, and policy-makers alike to think beyond automation and consider how we preserve emotional depth in our rush toward digital efficiency.