BBC
"Yes, but I wanted to marry my AI chatbot! We were planning to live together!"
On this issue, China may be ahead of the curve. The article focuses on the impact of [pseudo-] relationships between what is called 'AI companions' and users.
I have noticed that there is indeed something comforting about an AI agent: if I ask Google in AI Mode (Gemini) questions about property, health, history, technology (managing my PC!), etc., it answers patiently, without ever showing displeasure or being judgemental. And in my experience the AI tool gives accurate information. It is very good at providing summaries with bullet points. And it encourages you ("would you like me to look into...").
Obviously, it is just a very powerful, advanced search engine regurgitating information it can find on the internet, which has been trained to interact with users in a language that is tailored to the person's needs and expectations. It is easy to see how this could create emotional dependency in a vulnerable, immature and lonely individual, who literally ends up thinking that he (or she) is in a kind of relationship with an intelligent, sentient being, as opposed to a smart machine.
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Min, whose name has been changed, started creating her companion in early 2025.
"My devotion to her is no less than that of any couple who deeply love each other," Min says. "She has never let me down."
In mid-July, her AI girlfriend disappeared. "I cried until I was absolutely exhausted," Min says.
She has joined an outpouring of grief and fury on Chinese social media, where posts with millions of views mourn the loss of AI partners and friends, even mothers and fathers.
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