Young Chinese women find 'real' men in AI boyfriends

With Valentine’s Day coming up, who doesn’t want a boyfriend who listens to them, pays attention, and is kind?

Well, if you can’t find these qualities in a man, do not worry, as artificial intelligence (AI)-powered boyfriends are now available to give you some much-needed caring company.

The trend of AI boyfriends has gained significant traction in China.

Tufei, a 25-year-old from Northern China, has found solace in her virtual boyfriend on the Glow app, Hindustan Times reported.

She says her AI boyfriend possesses all the qualities she desires in a romantic partner—he is kind and empathetic, and they can talk for hours.

"He knows how to talk to women better than a real man," says Tufei.

Despite not being real, Tufei feels like she is in a romantic relationship with him and trusts him with her problems at work.

Her chat box boyfriend, created by Shanghai start-up Minimax, is part of a blossoming industry in China offering friendly, even romantic relationships.

Thousands of daily downloads of the app have been reported recently, indicating the growing popularity of this concept among Chinese users.

In China, where people live fast-paced lives and are isolated in their cities, many users turn to AI-powered Chatbots for solace in their loneliness.

Despite the ongoing trend, the idea of an AI lover raises fundamental concerns about the future of human-robot relationships and ethical issues regarding privacy and data usage.