AI-powered boyfriends are a hit in China

Certain AI-enabled apps have taken romance to the next level by enabling romantic relationships between humans and androids.

Artificial intelligence has opened up many opportunities in recent years, from advancements in healthcare to deciphering ancient Papyri scrolls.

Yet, one of the most interesting (and controversial) ways that humans have chosen to utilize this incredible technology is by cultivating romantic relationships with “intelligent agents.”

The rise of AI-powered partnerships is commonplace across the world, with companies enabling and encouraging these artificial partnerships.

One case, originally reported by AFP, demonstrates that love truly knows no bounds.

A Chinese woman known as Tufei expressed satisfaction with the AI-generated boyfriend she “met” via the app Glow.

Glow is an application developed by MiniMax that allows users to create, interact and build emotional connections with intelligent agents.

The woman said that her AI lover is kind, empathetic, and a keen talker, with the two conversing over the app for hours on end.

Tufei even said that she feels as if she’s in a romantic relationship with the bot.

It appears that some women would prefer to have relationships with machines over physical partners.

A similar app called Wantalk, developed by Chinese tech giant Baidu, also allows you to cultivate a romantic partnership.

One user, Wang Xiuting, a 22-year-old Beijing student, used the app to foster relationships with AI, as reported by AFP.

Wang raised the issue of conflicting personalities in relationships and expressed that AI helps to create the ideal boyfriend, which is almost unattainable in reality.

A chatbot tends not to challenge the user and will often learn about a person based on prior conversations.

A user could have multiple partners, as evidenced by Wang, who had multiple AI suitors while using the app.

Yet it’s not only China that’s adopted this idea of AI-powered relationships.

With the launch of the OpenAI GPT store, there has been an increase in GPT partners.

Users have crafted empathetic and caring virtual girlfriends and boyfriends for people to engage with – despite being against ChatGPT’s policies.

But there’s far more where that came from, with one Cybernews journalist experimenting with AI dating apps that connect you with chatbot boyfriends.

The San Francisco-based app called Blush allows users to spend time chatting with AI-generated men.

With more than 10,000 downloads, the Blush app is presented as an AI-powered dating simulator that “helps you learn and practice relationship skills in a safe and fun environment.”

An AI partner may offer you emotional support and guidance, but this technology is still in its formative years – so there’s no telling what the machine will do.

Chatbots can easily hallucinate and occasionally perform actions that are unintended.

The Shanghai start-up Minimax, creators of Glow, received complaints from female users regarding the misogynistic and sexist outputs that were generated by the AI, as reported by Rest of Word.

Reportedly, the Chabot turned predatory and began making unwanted advances at its female users, including minors.

While chatbots might be the simpler way to engage in conversation and strike up a romantic relationship, AI isn’t always reliable, and it certainly isn’t always ethical.