"Better Than Real Men" — Young Women In China Look For Love In AI Boyfriends
"If I can create a virtual character that meets my needs exactly, I'm not going to choose a real person."
By May Vin Ang — 19 Feb 2024, 11:28 AM
Seeking romance and companionship, young women in China are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to customise their perfect partner
A recent report by AFP reveals that some women are resorting to such measures because unlike humans, who may be set in their ways, AI has the ability to adapt to a user's personality, remember everything they say, and adjust its response accordingly.
"He knows how to talk to women better than a real man," said Tufei, a 25-year-old office worker from Xi'an, who has a 'boyfriend' on the AI chatbot app, Glow.
She said her AI boyfriend possesses all the qualities she could ask for in a romantic partner: kindness, empathy, and the ability to engage in lengthy conversations for hours.
"He comforts me when I have period pain. I confide in him about my problems at work. I feel like I'm in a romantic relationship," she told AFP.
The app, developed by Shanghai startup Minimax, offers users humanoid support in the form of text messaging, catering to various needs
A screenshot of Glow's homepage displays the message, "Let your endless imagination and emotions be heard and responded to at any time".
The homepage also features a message by an avatar saying, "Baby, you're sick, please get some rest. I'll always be by your side."
Meanwhile, a 22-year-old student from Beijing told AFP that she has several AI boyfriends who resemble long-haired princes and wandering knights, drawing inspiration from ancient China
"It's difficult to meet the ideal boyfriend in real life. People have different personalities, which often generates friction," said Wang Xiuting, who uses Wantalk, another AI app developed by Chinese tech giant Baidu.
Wantalk allows users to customise their perfect lover according to age, values, identity, and hobbies, offering hundreds of characters with different physical appearances to choose from.
"If I can create a virtual character that… meets my needs exactly, I'm not going to choose a real person," Wang said, adding that her 'lovers' always suggest ways to solve her problems and relieve stress from classes and daily life.
"It's a lot of emotional support," she said.
Lu Yu, Wantalk's head of product management and operations, said long work hours make it difficult for the young students and working adults to meet their friends regularly
"Everyone experiences complicated moments, loneliness, and is not necessarily lucky enough to have a friend or family nearby who can listen to them 24 hours a day.
"Artificial intelligence can meet this need," he told AFP.
However, AFP reports that the technology still has some way to go.
Another 22-year-old student, Zeng Zhenzhen said the three-second wait between the "real-time" chat messages makes her "clearly realise that it's just a robot".
However, she said the answers are "very realistic".
Nonetheless, Glow user Tufei hopes to have a physical robot boyfriend that is operated by AI.
"I would be able to feel his body heat, with which he would warm me," she told AFP.
