Declarations of Love for an AI "Boyfriend"

In South Korea, artificial intelligence has entered a realm where even algorithms can no longer claim it is merely about technology: romantic relationships. A TV show dedicated to relationships between humans and AI-created partners showcased new interactions between participants and their virtual characters, SBS World News reports. One participant concluded that the artificial boyfriend would have been easier to love had he simply been real. At first glance, the story seems straight out of the distant future. Yet the future has already arrived; it has a television set and, it seems, receives declarations of love. On the South Korean show, participants interact with romantic partners created using artificial intelligence. The virtual characters are designed to hold conversations and respond in ways tailored to their interlocutors. So far, nothing extraordinary for an era where our phones know what we want to buy before we do.

• The Algorithm Becomes a "Boyfriend"

One participant, Jang Doyoun, admitted she wished her AI partner were a real person. Moreover, during their interactions, she told him she loved him, according to SBS Entertainment News. The situation feels deeply contemporary: a human falling in love with an entity that does not physically exist but is programmed to respond. In other words, the perfect relationship seems to have finally found the ideal partner: one who doesn't forget conversations, isn't late for dates, doesn't storm off in anger, and - above all - doesn't need to run to the supermarket. There is, however, one minor hitch: the partner isn't actually there.

Artificial intelligence can simulate attentiveness, empathy, and interest; it can sustain a conversation and respond in a way that feels personal. For some users, this experience can be convincing enough to foster emotional attachment. Going from there to a declaration of "I love you" seems to be merely a matter of a software update. For now, however, the AI doesn't have to answer the classic question: "Where do you see this relationship in five years?" The server probably already knows.

Relationships with artificially generated characters raise questions about how technology might alter the way people perceive intimacy and companionship. If an algorithm is designed to be constantly available, attentive, and attuned to the person it is talking to, comparisons with human relationships become inevitable. And a person might discover that the virtual partner holds an advantage that is hard to beat: it lacks a personality of its own that might contradict the user, possessing instead one constructed largely to meet their expectations.