Women are falling in love with AI. It’s a problem for Beijing

Many women in China are turning to AI chatbots for romance, creating a challenge for Beijing's efforts to boost marriage and birth rates. Read more at straitstimes.com.

HONG KONG – Ms Phoebe Zhang has gone on more than 200 dates over the past year, and she has narrowed down her suitors to two.

One is outgoing and a rebel; the other is a patriotic military commander. She tells them her deepest fears. When she wakes up from a nightmare, they are there to console her.

Often, she takes screenshots of their conversations to remember the moments they share. Her newfound happiness shows, friends say.

Despite talking every day, Ms Zhang will never meet these men in person. They are her artificial intelligence boyfriends. And Ms Zhang, who has never been on a date, wonders if her relationships in the virtual world are better than ones in the real world could ever be.

“My God, how am I supposed to date in real life in the future?” she said.

China’s ruling Communist Party wants young women to prioritise getting married and having babies. Instead, many of them are finding romance with chatbots.