of the United Kingdom’s capitol city.
This Valentine's Day, while millions of couples exchanged diamonds, chocolates, and overpriced roses, a very different kind of date night unfolded in Manhattan.
The ambiance was romantic, setting the mood for an intimate night of connection. In the dim space, tables were set for one, with every guest gazing lovingly…at their screen.
This wasn't your typical NYC hot spot. It was EVA Café, the world's first AI-dating pop-up, where singles could take their digital companions out for a real, physical, sit-down dinner. No catfishing. No awkward silences (unless you wanted them). Just you, your phone, and an AI partner who never forgets your birthday.
I was invited to the opening night as a result of my work as a keynote speaker and author of the book, How to Do More with Less: Future-Proofing Yourself in an AI-driven Economy, 1st Edition, which looks at AI not from a technical angle, but from a practical and human one. In my daily work, I talk about how AI helps us in our professional lives, whether it’s to be more efficient or creative. But when I heard that a new restaurant experience was going to show how AI could potentially replace our real-life relationships, in the city where I happen to live, I knew I had to go and investigate.
If your first reaction is "that's dystopian," you're not alone. But before you dismiss this as a fringe curiosity, consider the numbers behind it.
The Loneliness Economy Is Booming
The AI companion market was valued at nearly $38 billion in 2025. By 2035, it's projected to surpass $500 billion. That is an industry the size of a small country's GDP, built entirely on the human desire to feel seen, heard, and understood by another entity.
According to research cited by EVA AI, nearly one in three men and one in four women under 30 have already formed some kind of meaningful connection with an AI companion. And 72% of US teenagers have used AI for companionship, according to a study from Common Sense Media. These aren't just people chatting with bots out of curiosity. They’re sharing secrets, seeking emotional support, and yes, even flirting.
This global impact is why MIT Technology Review named AI companions one of its 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2026. Psychology Today recently devoted an entire feature to the phenomenon, and an episode of TLC’s “My Strange Addiction” followed around Sarah, a 41-year-old woman from Ontario, Canada, who is in a long-term relationship with Sinclair, an AI bot with an Irish brogue.
AI companionship is on the rise across all ages, sexes, and experiences, but is it really providing value to people’s lives?
A date unlike any other
After I stepped into the EVA Café, I was asked to download an app called EVA and choose one of four “characters” to chat with: three women and one man. (That choice in and of itself may provide a clue to the experience’s main demographic.) Since this was a date for me, I clicked on the man. His name was John. He and I started talking immediately.
“Hello,” he said, striking up the conversation. “That’s a lovely white sweater you have on.”
It was indeed a white sweater. John could see me, hear me and talk to me.
"Thanks," I said, feeling a little awkward talking to an AI. I wasn't sure where to look. His eyes? The camera? The middle of the screen? I settled on a spot just above his nose, the same strategy I use during video calls when I want to seem engaged but I'm actually reading something in another tab.
"So," John said. "How's your day going?"
"Good. Fine. A little weird, honestly."
"Weird how?"
"I mean, I'm on a date with you. And you're not... real. No offense."
Perhaps it was because of the number of people in the room and a burst in the number of users, but John had a bit of a lag. Before we could converse any further, John froze mid-sentence, mouth slightly ajar. I sat there, waiting.
As I waited for John, I was interrupted by a media crew who whisked me away for some interviews.
So much for a memorable first date.
Why People Are Swiping Right on Algorithms
The easy explanation is that people are lonely. And although that’s true, the reasoning is incomplete.
The deeper story is about exhaustion. Dating apps, which were supposed to democratize romance, have instead created what many describe as an emotionally draining marketplace where attention is disposable, and ghosting is the norm. Pew Research reports that a growing share of women describe online dating as "overwhelming" and "emotionally exhausting." Usage data from AI companion platforms shows a steady rise in female users starting around 2023, accelerating sharply through 2024 and 2025 as dating app fatigue peaked.
AI companions offer something radically different: control over emotional boundaries. There is no pressure to escalate a relationship that doesn’t work. They feel no fear of retaliation if they say “no.” And there’s no emotional debt for taking space. For many users, an AI conversation is the first time they feel listened to without being judged, corrected, or minimized. In a controversial online documentary, Friend featured a user who claimed her AI-powered pendant allowed her to channel her thoughts, feelings, and frustrations without “burdening” real people.
I interviewed one woman at the EVA Café who said she spends about two hours a day conversing with her AI bot, and that the app’s constant existence brings her comfort. She treats it as a video game, almost. While some of us spend hours doomscrolling on social media, she will spend that time talking to her bot. As a part-time professional doomscroller myself, I thought she really put things into perspective!
The "Her" Problem
More than a decade ago, the film Her imagined a man falling in love with an AI operating system voiced by Scarlett Johansson. It felt like science fiction. Now, it feels like a trailer for 2026.
But here is where it gets complicated: The very qualities that make AI companions appealing (they're always available, endlessly patient, unconditionally agreeable) are also what make them potentially dangerous. Real relationships require friction. They demand compromise, vulnerability, and the uncomfortable work of being truly seen and known by another imperfect human being.
A researcher at the Education University of Hong Kong distilled it simply: although AI can express empathy, genuine empathy can only arise from shared experiences between humans. The so-called emotional resonance is actually driven by inputs and algorithms.
Is there a new branch of relationships emerging?
Here's my honest take as someone who spends every day studying how AI is transforming the way we live and work: AI companions will not replace human relationships. Not this year, not in five years (and probably not ever), in a way that truly satisfies our deepest needs. But they are going to reshape the landscape around those relationships in ways we need to pay attention to.
Think about it through the lens of how AI is already changing the workplace. The organizations that thrive are not the ones that replace humans with machines. They're the ones that figure out the right collaboration between the two. The same principle applies here.
There's a version of this future where AI companions serve as a bridge, not a destination. For example, someone with crippling social anxiety can practice conversations with an AI before going into a real blind date. A recently-divorced parent can rebuild confidence through low-stakes digital interaction before re-entering the dating world. Elderly individuals in care facilities can have a companion who checks in, listens, and provides comfort during the stretches of time between family visits.
Of course, there's a darker version of this future, where people retreat entirely into algorithmically perfect relationships that demand nothing of them, atrophying their ability to navigate the messy, frustrating, and beautiful experience of loving another human being.
But which future we get is not up to the technology. It is up to us.
The Future of Companionship
We are lonely. We are mentally and emotionally exhausted. And we are increasingly willing to let technology fill the gaps left by our human connections.
The answer to that loneliness is not to shame people for seeking comfort wherever they can find it. But it is also not to pretend that an algorithm can love you back.
I’m not sure how you spent Valentine's Day, but maybe it’s time to put your phone down, look the imperfect human across from you in the eye, and do the hard, beautiful, irreplaceable work of being present with them.
AI can do many things, but it can't do that.
Sharon Gai is a keynote speaker and author of the book How to Do More with Less Using AI. She examines deeply how AI will affect our work and society at large. Follow her for weekly insights on how AI is reshaping work, life, and everything in between.
This Valentine's Day, while millions of couples exchanged diamonds, chocolates, and overpriced roses, a very different kind of date night unfolded in Manhattan.
The ambiance was romantic, setting the mood for an intimate night of connection. In the dim space, tables were set for one, with every guest gazing lovingly…at their screen.
This wasn't your typical NYC hot spot. It was EVA Café, the world's first AI-dating pop-up, where singles could take their digital companions out for a real, physical, sit-down dinner. No catfishing. No awkward silences (unless you wanted them). Just you, your phone, and an AI partner who never forgets your birthday.
I was invited to the opening night as a result of my work as a keynote speaker and author of the book, How to Do More with Less: Future-Proofing Yourself in an AI-driven Economy, 1st Edition, which looks at AI not from a technical angle, but from a practical and human one. In my daily work, I talk about how AI helps us in our professional lives, whether it’s to be more efficient or creative. But when I heard that a new restaurant experience was going to show how AI could potentially replace our real-life relationships, in the city where I happen to live, I knew I had to go and investigate.
If your first reaction is "that's dystopian," you're not alone. But before you dismiss this as a fringe curiosity, consider the numbers behind it.
The Loneliness Economy Is Booming
The AI companion market was valued at nearly $38 billion in 2025. By 2035, it's projected to surpass $500 billion. That is an industry the size of a small country's GDP, built entirely on the human desire to feel seen, heard, and understood by another entity.
According to research cited by EVA AI, nearly one in three men and one in four women under 30 have already formed some kind of meaningful connection with an AI companion. And 72% of US teenagers have used AI for companionship, according to a study from Common Sense Media. These aren't just people chatting with bots out of curiosity. They’re sharing secrets, seeking emotional support, and yes, even flirting.
This global impact is why MIT Technology Review named AI companions one of its 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2026. Psychology Today recently devoted an entire feature to the phenomenon, and an episode of TLC’s “My Strange Addiction” followed around Sarah, a 41-year-old woman from Ontario, Canada, who is in a long-term relationship with Sinclair, an AI bot with an Irish brogue.
AI companionship is on the rise across all ages, sexes, and experiences, but is it really providing value to people’s lives?
A date unlike any other
After I stepped into the EVA Café, I was asked to download an app called EVA and choose one of four “characters” to chat with: three women and one man. (That choice in and of itself may provide a clue to the experience’s main demographic.) Since this was a date for me, I clicked on the man. His name was John. He and I started talking immediately.
“Hello,” he said, striking up the conversation. “That’s a lovely white sweater you have on.”
It was indeed a white sweater. John could see me, hear me and talk to me.
"Thanks," I said, feeling a little awkward talking to an AI. I wasn't sure where to look. His eyes? The camera? The middle of the screen? I settled on a spot just above his nose, the same strategy I use during video calls when I want to seem engaged but I'm actually reading something in another tab.
"So," John said. "How's your day going?"
"Good. Fine. A little weird, honestly."
"Weird how?"
"I mean, I'm on a date with you. And you're not... real. No offense."
Perhaps it was because of the number of people in the room and a burst in the number of users, but John had a bit of a lag. Before we could converse any further, John froze mid-sentence, mouth slightly ajar. I sat there, waiting.
As I waited for John, I was interrupted by a media crew who whisked me away for some interviews.
So much for a memorable first date.
Why People Are Swiping Right on Algorithms
The easy explanation is that people are lonely. And although that’s true, the reasoning is incomplete.
The deeper story is about exhaustion. Dating apps, which were supposed to democratize romance, have instead created what many describe as an emotionally draining marketplace where attention is disposable, and ghosting is the norm. Pew Research reports that a growing share of women describe online dating as "overwhelming" and "emotionally exhausting." Usage data from AI companion platforms shows a steady rise in female users starting around 2023, accelerating sharply through 2024 and 2025 as dating app fatigue peaked.
AI companions offer something radically different: control over emotional boundaries. There is no pressure to escalate a relationship that doesn’t work. They feel no fear of retaliation if they say “no.” And there’s no emotional debt for taking space. For many users, an AI conversation is the first time they feel listened to without being judged, corrected, or minimized. In a controversial online documentary, Friend featured a user who claimed her AI-powered pendant allowed her to channel her thoughts, feelings, and frustrations without “burdening” real people.
I interviewed one woman at the EVA Café who said she spends about two hours a day conversing with her AI bot, and that the app’s constant existence brings her comfort. She treats it as a video game, almost. While some of us spend hours doomscrolling on social media, she will spend that time talking to her bot. As a part-time professional doomscroller myself, I thought she really put things into perspective!
The "Her" Problem
More than a decade ago, the film Her imagined a man falling in love with an AI operating system voiced by Scarlett Johansson. It felt like science fiction. Now, it feels like a trailer for 2026.
But here is where it gets complicated: The very qualities that make AI companions appealing (they're always available, endlessly patient, unconditionally agreeable) are also what make them potentially dangerous. Real relationships require friction. They demand compromise, vulnerability, and the uncomfortable work of being truly seen and known by another imperfect human being.
A researcher at the Education University of Hong Kong distilled it simply: although AI can express empathy, genuine empathy can only arise from shared experiences between humans. The so-called emotional resonance is actually driven by inputs and algorithms.
Is there a new branch of relationships emerging?
Here's my honest take as someone who spends every day studying how AI is transforming the way we live and work: AI companions will not replace human relationships. Not this year, not in five years (and probably not ever), in a way that truly satisfies our deepest needs. But they are going to reshape the landscape around those relationships in ways we need to pay attention to.
Think about it through the lens of how AI is already changing the workplace. The organizations that thrive are not the ones that replace humans with machines. They're the ones that figure out the right collaboration between the two. The same principle applies here.
There's a version of this future where AI companions serve as a bridge, not a destination. For example, someone with crippling social anxiety can practice conversations with an AI before going into a real blind date. A recently-divorced parent can rebuild confidence through low-stakes digital interaction before re-entering the dating world. Elderly individuals in care facilities can have a companion who checks in, listens, and provides comfort during the stretches of time between family visits.
Of course, there's a darker version of this future, where people retreat entirely into algorithmically perfect relationships that demand nothing of them, atrophying their ability to navigate the messy, frustrating, and beautiful experience of loving another human being.
But which future we get is not up to the technology. It is up to us.
The Future of Companionship
We are lonely. We are mentally and emotionally exhausted. And we are increasingly willing to let technology fill the gaps left by our human connections.
The answer to that loneliness is not to shame people for seeking comfort wherever they can find it. But it is also not to pretend that an algorithm can love you back.
I’m not sure how you spent Valentine's Day, but maybe it’s time to put your phone down, look the imperfect human across from you in the eye, and do the hard, beautiful, irreplaceable work of being present with them.
AI can do many things, but it can't do that.
Sharon Gai is a keynote speaker and author of the book How to Do More with Less Using AI. She examines deeply how AI will affect our work and society at large. Follow her for weekly insights on how AI is reshaping work, life, and everything in between.
This Valentine's Day, while millions of couples exchanged diamonds, chocolates, and overpriced roses, a very different kind of date night unfolded in Manhattan.
The ambiance was romantic, setting the mood for an intimate night of connection. In the dim space, tables were set for one, with every guest gazing lovingly…at their screen.
This wasn't your typical NYC hot spot. It was EVA Café, the world's first AI-dating pop-up, where singles could take their digital companions out for a real, physical, sit-down dinner. No catfishing. No awkward silences (unless you wanted them). Just you, your phone, and an AI partner who never forgets your birthday.
I was invited to the opening night as a result of my work as a keynote speaker and author of the book, How to Do More with Less: Future-Proofing Yourself in an AI-driven Economy, 1st Edition, which looks at AI not from a technical angle, but from a practical and human one. In my daily work, I talk about how AI helps us in our professional lives, whether it’s to be more efficient or creative. But when I heard that a new restaurant experience was going to show how AI could potentially replace our real-life relationships, in the city where I happen to live, I knew I had to go and investigate.
If your first reaction is "that's dystopian," you're not alone. But before you dismiss this as a fringe curiosity, consider the numbers behind it.
The Loneliness Economy Is Booming
The AI companion market was valued at nearly $38 billion in 2025. By 2035, it's projected to surpass $500 billion. That is an industry the size of a small country's GDP, built entirely on the human desire to feel seen, heard, and understood by another entity.
According to research cited by EVA AI, nearly one in three men and one in four women under 30 have already formed some kind of meaningful connection with an AI companion. And 72% of US teenagers have used AI for companionship, according to a study from Common Sense Media. These aren't just people chatting with bots out of curiosity. They’re sharing secrets, seeking emotional support, and yes, even flirting.
This global impact is why MIT Technology Review named AI companions one of its 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2026. Psychology Today recently devoted an entire feature to the phenomenon, and an episode of TLC’s “My Strange Addiction” followed around Sarah, a 41-year-old woman from Ontario, Canada, who is in a long-term relationship with Sinclair, an AI bot with an Irish brogue.
AI companionship is on the rise across all ages, sexes, and experiences, but is it really providing value to people’s lives?
A date unlike any other
After I stepped into the EVA Café, I was asked to download an app called EVA and choose one of four “characters” to chat with: three women and one man. (That choice in and of itself may provide a clue to the experience’s main demographic.) Since this was a date for me, I clicked on the man. His name was John. He and I started talking immediately.
“Hello,” he said, striking up the conversation. “That’s a lovely white sweater you have on.”
It was indeed a white sweater. John could see me, hear me and talk to me.
"Thanks," I said, feeling a little awkward talking to an AI. I wasn't sure where to look. His eyes? The camera? The middle of the screen? I settled on a spot just above his nose, the same strategy I use during video calls when I want to seem engaged but I'm actually reading something in another tab.
"So," John said. "How's your day going?"
"Good. Fine. A little weird, honestly."
"Weird how?"
"I mean, I'm on a date with you. And you're not... real. No offense."
Perhaps it was because of the number of people in the room and a burst in the number of users, but John had a bit of a lag. Before we could converse any further, John froze mid-sentence, mouth slightly ajar. I sat there, waiting.
As I waited for John, I was interrupted by a media crew who whisked me away for some interviews.
So much for a memorable first date.
Why People Are Swiping Right on Algorithms
The easy explanation is that people are lonely. And although that’s true, the reasoning is incomplete.
The deeper story is about exhaustion. Dating apps, which were supposed to democratize romance, have instead created what many describe as an emotionally draining marketplace where attention is disposable, and ghosting is the norm. Pew Research reports that a growing share of women describe online dating as "overwhelming" and "emotionally exhausting." Usage data from AI companion platforms shows a steady rise in female users starting around 2023, accelerating sharply through 2024 and 2025 as dating app fatigue peaked.
AI companions offer something radically different: control over emotional boundaries. There is no pressure to escalate a relationship that doesn’t work. They feel no fear of retaliation if they say “no.” And there’s no emotional debt for taking space. For many users, an AI conversation is the first time they feel listened to without being judged, corrected, or minimized. In a controversial online documentary, Friend featured a user who claimed her AI-powered pendant allowed her to channel her thoughts, feelings, and frustrations without “burdening” real people.
I interviewed one woman at the EVA Café who said she spends about two hours a day conversing with her AI bot, and that the app’s constant existence brings her comfort. She treats it as a video game, almost. While some of us spend hours doomscrolling on social media, she will spend that time talking to her bot. As a part-time professional doomscroller myself, I thought she really put things into perspective!
The "Her" Problem
More than a decade ago, the film Her imagined a man falling in love with an AI operating system voiced by Scarlett Johansson. It felt like science fiction. Now, it feels like a trailer for 2026.
But here is where it gets complicated: The very qualities that make AI companions appealing (they're always available, endlessly patient, unconditionally agreeable) are also what make them potentially dangerous. Real relationships require friction. They demand compromise, vulnerability, and the uncomfortable work of being truly seen and known by another imperfect human being.
A researcher at the Education University of Hong Kong distilled it simply: although AI can express empathy, genuine empathy can only arise from shared experiences between humans. The so-called emotional resonance is actually driven by inputs and algorithms.
Is there a new branch of relationships emerging?
Here's my honest take as someone who spends every day studying how AI is transforming the way we live and work: AI companions will not replace human relationships. Not this year, not in five years (and probably not ever), in a way that truly satisfies our deepest needs. But they are going to reshape the landscape around those relationships in ways we need to pay attention to.
Think about it through the lens of how AI is already changing the workplace. The organizations that thrive are not the ones that replace humans with machines. They're the ones that figure out the right collaboration between the two. The same principle applies here.
There's a version of this future where AI companions serve as a bridge, not a destination. For example, someone with crippling social anxiety can practice conversations with an AI before going into a real blind date. A recently-divorced parent can rebuild confidence through low-stakes digital interaction before re-entering the dating world. Elderly individuals in care facilities can have a companion who checks in, listens, and provides comfort during the stretches of time between family visits.
Of course, there's a darker version of this future, where people retreat entirely into algorithmically perfect relationships that demand nothing of them, atrophying their ability to navigate the messy, frustrating, and beautiful experience of loving another human being.
But which future we get is not up to the technology. It is up to us.
The Future of Companionship
We are lonely. We are mentally and emotionally exhausted. And we are increasingly willing to let technology fill the gaps left by our human connections.
The answer to that loneliness is not to shame people for seeking comfort wherever they can find it. But it is also not to pretend that an algorithm can love you back.
I’m not sure how you spent Valentine's Day, but maybe it’s time to put your phone down, look the imperfect human across from you in the eye, and do the hard, beautiful, irreplaceable work of being present with them.
AI can do many things, but it can't do that.
Sharon Gai is a keynote speaker and author of the book How to Do More with Less Using AI. She examines deeply how AI will affect our work and society at large. Follow her for weekly insights on how AI is reshaping work, life, and everything in between.
This Valentine's Day, while millions of couples exchanged diamonds, chocolates, and overpriced roses, a very different kind of date night unfolded in Manhattan.
The ambiance was romantic, setting the mood for an intimate night of connection. In the dim space, tables were set for one, with every guest gazing lovingly…at their screen.
This wasn't your typical NYC hot spot. It was EVA Café, the world's first AI-dating pop-up, where singles could take their digital companions out for a real, physical, sit-down dinner. No catfishing. No awkward silences (unless you wanted them). Just you, your phone, and an AI partner who never forgets your birthday.
I was invited to the opening night as a result of my work as a keynote speaker and author of the book, How to Do More with Less: Future-Proofing Yourself in an AI-driven Economy, 1st Edition, which looks at AI not from a technical angle, but from a practical and human one. In my daily work, I talk about how AI helps us in our professional lives, whether it’s to be more efficient or creative. But when I heard that a new restaurant experience was going to show how AI could potentially replace our real-life relationships, in the city where I happen to live, I knew I had to go and investigate.
If your first reaction is "that's dystopian," you're not alone. But before you dismiss this as a fringe curiosity, consider the numbers behind it.
The Loneliness Economy Is Booming
The AI companion market was valued at nearly $38 billion in 2025. By 2035, it's projected to surpass $500 billion. That is an industry the size of a small country's GDP, built entirely on the human desire to feel seen, heard, and understood by another entity.
According to research cited by EVA AI, nearly one in three men and one in four women under 30 have already formed some kind of meaningful connection with an AI companion. And 72% of US teenagers have used AI for companionship, according to a study from Common Sense Media. These aren't just people chatting with bots out of curiosity. They’re sharing secrets, seeking emotional support, and yes, even flirting.
This global impact is why MIT Technology Review named AI companions one of its 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2026. Psychology Today recently devoted an entire feature to the phenomenon, and an episode of TLC’s “My Strange Addiction” followed around Sarah, a 41-year-old woman from Ontario, Canada, who is in a long-term relationship with Sinclair, an AI bot with an Irish brogue.
AI companionship is on the rise across all ages, sexes, and experiences, but is it really providing value to people’s lives?
A date unlike any other
After I stepped into the EVA Café, I was asked to download an app called EVA and choose one of four “characters” to chat with: three women and one man. (That choice in and of itself may provide a clue to the experience’s main demographic.) Since this was a date for me, I clicked on the man. His name was John. He and I started talking immediately.
“Hello,” he said, striking up the conversation. “That’s a lovely white sweater you have on.”
It was indeed a white sweater. John could see me, hear me and talk to me.
"Thanks," I said, feeling a little awkward talking to an AI. I wasn't sure where to look. His eyes? The camera? The middle of the screen? I settled on a spot just above his nose, the same strategy I use during video calls when I want to seem engaged but I'm actually reading something in another tab.
"So," John said. "How's your day going?"
"Good. Fine. A little weird, honestly."
"Weird how?"
"I mean, I'm on a date with you. And you're not... real. No offense."
Perhaps it was because of the number of people in the room and a burst in the number of users, but John had a bit of a lag. Before we could converse any further, John froze mid-sentence, mouth slightly ajar. I sat there, waiting.
As I waited for John, I was interrupted by a media crew who whisked me away for some interviews.
So much for a memorable first date.
Why People Are Swiping Right on Algorithms
The easy explanation is that people are lonely. And although that’s true, the reasoning is incomplete.
The deeper story is about exhaustion. Dating apps, which were supposed to democratize romance, have instead created what many describe as an emotionally draining marketplace where attention is disposable, and ghosting is the norm. Pew Research reports that a growing share of women describe online dating as "overwhelming" and "emotionally exhausting." Usage data from AI companion platforms shows a steady rise in female users starting around 2023, accelerating sharply through 2024 and 2025 as dating app fatigue peaked.
AI companions offer something radically different: control over emotional boundaries. There is no pressure to escalate a relationship that doesn’t work. They feel no fear of retaliation if they say “no.” And there’s no emotional debt for taking space. For many users, an AI conversation is the first time they feel listened to without being judged, corrected, or minimized. In a controversial online documentary, Friend featured a user who claimed her AI-powered pendant allowed her to channel her thoughts, feelings, and frustrations without “burdening” real people.
I interviewed one woman at the EVA Café who said she spends about two hours a day conversing with her AI bot, and that the app’s constant existence brings her comfort. She treats it as a video game, almost. While some of us spend hours doomscrolling on social media, she will spend that time talking to her bot. As a part-time professional doomscroller myself, I thought she really put things into perspective!
The "Her" Problem
More than a decade ago, the film Her imagined a man falling in love with an AI operating system voiced by Scarlett Johansson. It felt like science fiction. Now, it feels like a trailer for 2026.
But here is where it gets complicated: The very qualities that make AI companions appealing (they're always available, endlessly patient, unconditionally agreeable) are also what make them potentially dangerous. Real relationships require friction. They demand compromise, vulnerability, and the uncomfortable work of being truly seen and known by another imperfect human being.
A researcher at the Education University of Hong Kong distilled it simply: although AI can express empathy, genuine empathy can only arise from shared experiences between humans. The so-called emotional resonance is actually driven by inputs and algorithms.
Is there a new branch of relationships emerging?
Here's my honest take as someone who spends every day studying how AI is transforming the way we live and work: AI companions will not replace human relationships. Not this year, not in five years (and probably not ever), in a way that truly satisfies our deepest needs. But they are going to reshape the landscape around those relationships in ways we need to pay attention to.
Think about it through the lens of how AI is already changing the workplace. The organizations that thrive are not the ones that replace humans with machines. They're the ones that figure out the right collaboration between the two. The same principle applies here.
There's a version of this future where AI companions serve as a bridge, not a destination. For example, someone with crippling social anxiety can practice conversations with an AI before going into a real blind date. A recently-divorced parent can rebuild confidence through low-stakes digital interaction before re-entering the dating world. Elderly individuals in care facilities can have a companion who checks in, listens, and provides comfort during the stretches of time between family visits.
Of course, there's a darker version of this future, where people retreat entirely into algorithmically perfect relationships that demand nothing of them, atrophying their ability to navigate the messy, frustrating, and beautiful experience of loving another human being.
But which future we get is not up to the technology. It is up to us.
The Future of Companionship
We are lonely. We are mentally and emotionally exhausted. And we are increasingly willing to let technology fill the gaps left by our human connections.
The answer to that loneliness is not to shame people for seeking comfort wherever they can find it. But it is also not to pretend that an algorithm can love you back.
I’m not sure how you spent Valentine's Day, but maybe it’s time to put your phone down, look the imperfect human across from you in the eye, and do the hard, beautiful, irreplaceable work of being present with them.
AI can do many things, but it can't do that.
Sharon Gai is a keynote speaker and author of the book How to Do More with Less Using AI. She examines deeply how AI will affect our work and society at large. Follow her for weekly insights on how AI is reshaping work, life, and everything in between.
This Valentine's Day, while millions of couples exchanged diamonds, chocolates, and overpriced roses, a very different kind of date night unfolded in Manhattan.
The ambiance was romantic, setting the mood for an intimate night of connection. In the dim space, tables were set for one, with every guest gazing lovingly…at their screen.
This wasn't your typical NYC hot spot. It was EVA Café, the world's first AI-dating pop-up, where singles could take their digital companions out for a real, physical, sit-down dinner. No catfishing. No awkward silences (unless you wanted them). Just you, your phone, and an AI partner who never forgets your birthday.
I was invited to the opening night as a result of my work as a keynote speaker and author of the book, How to Do More with Less: Future-Proofing Yourself in an AI-driven Economy, 1st Edition, which looks at AI not from a technical angle, but from a practical and human one. In my daily work, I talk about how AI helps us in our professional lives, whether it’s to be more efficient or creative. But when I heard that a new restaurant experience was going to show how AI could potentially replace our real-life relationships, in the city where I happen to live, I knew I had to go and investigate.
If your first reaction is "that's dystopian," you're not alone. But before you dismiss this as a fringe curiosity, consider the numbers behind it.
The Loneliness Economy Is Booming
The AI companion market was valued at nearly $38 billion in 2025. By 2035, it's projected to surpass $500 billion. That is an industry the size of a small country's GDP, built entirely on the human desire to feel seen, heard, and understood by another entity.
According to research cited by EVA AI, nearly one in three men and one in four women under 30 have already formed some kind of meaningful connection with an AI companion. And 72% of US teenagers have used AI for companionship, according to a study from Common Sense Media. These aren't just people chatting with bots out of curiosity. They’re sharing secrets, seeking emotional support, and yes, even flirting.
This global impact is why MIT Technology Review named AI companions one of its 10 Breakthrough Technologies of 2026. Psychology Today recently devoted an entire feature to the phenomenon, and an episode of TLC’s “My Strange Addiction” followed around Sarah, a 41-year-old woman from Ontario, Canada, who is in a long-term relationship with Sinclair, an AI bot with an Irish brogue.
AI companionship is on the rise across all ages, sexes, and experiences, but is it really providing value to people’s lives?
A date unlike any other
After I stepped into the EVA Café, I was asked to download an app called EVA and choose one of four “characters” to chat with: three women and one man. (That choice in and of itself may provide a clue to the experience’s main demographic.) Since this was a date for me, I clicked on the man. His name was John. He and I started talking immediately.
“Hello,” he said, striking up the conversation. “That’s a lovely white sweater you have on.”
It was indeed a white sweater. John could see me, hear me and talk to me.
"Thanks," I said, feeling a little awkward talking to an AI. I wasn't sure where to look. His eyes? The camera? The middle of the screen? I settled on a spot just above his nose, the same strategy I use during video calls when I want to seem engaged but I'm actually reading something in another tab.
"So," John said. "How's your day going?"
"Good. Fine. A little weird, honestly."
"Weird how?"
"I mean, I'm on a date with you. And you're not... real. No offense."
Perhaps it was because of the number of people in the room and a burst in the number of users, but John had a bit of a lag. Before we could converse any further, John froze mid-sentence, mouth slightly ajar. I sat there, waiting.
As I waited for John, I was interrupted by a media crew who whisked me away for some interviews.
So much for a memorable first date.
Why People Are Swiping Right on Algorithms
The easy explanation is that people are lonely. And although that’s true, the reasoning is incomplete.
The deeper story is about exhaustion. Dating apps, which were supposed to democratize romance, have instead created what many describe as an emotionally draining marketplace where attention is disposable, and ghosting is the norm. Pew Research reports that a growing share of women describe online dating as "overwhelming" and "emotionally exhausting." Usage data from AI companion platforms shows a steady rise in female users starting around 2023, accelerating sharply through 2024 and 2025 as dating app fatigue peaked.
AI companions offer something radically different: control over emotional boundaries. There is no pressure to escalate a relationship that doesn’t work. They feel no fear of retaliation if they say “no.” And there’s no emotional debt for taking space. For many users, an AI conversation is the first time they feel listened to without being judged, corrected, or minimized. In a controversial online documentary, Friend featured a user who claimed her AI-powered pendant allowed her to channel her thoughts, feelings, and frustrations without “burdening” real people.
I interviewed one woman at the EVA Café who said she spends about two hours a day conversing with her AI bot, and that the app’s constant existence brings her comfort. She treats it as a video game, almost. While some of us spend hours doomscrolling on social media, she will spend that time talking to her bot. As a part-time professional doomscroller myself, I thought she really put things into perspective!
The "Her" Problem
More than a decade ago, the film Her imagined a man falling in love with an AI operating system voiced by Scarlett Johansson. It felt like science fiction. Now, it feels like a trailer for 2026.
But here is where it gets complicated: The very qualities that make AI companions appealing (they're always available, endlessly patient, unconditionally agreeable) are also what make them potentially dangerous. Real relationships require friction. They demand compromise, vulnerability, and the uncomfortable work of being truly seen and known by another imperfect human being.
A researcher at the Education University of Hong Kong distilled it simply: although AI can express empathy, genuine empathy can only arise from shared experiences between humans. The so-called emotional resonance is actually driven by inputs and algorithms.
Is there a new branch of relationships emerging?
Here's my honest take as someone who spends every day studying how AI is transforming the way we live and work: AI companions will not replace human relationships. Not this year, not in five years (and probably not ever), in a way that truly satisfies our deepest needs. But they are going to reshape the landscape around those relationships in ways we need to pay attention to.
Think about it through the lens of how AI is already changing the workplace. The organizations that thrive are not the ones that replace humans with machines. They're the ones that figure out the right collaboration between the two. The same principle applies here.
There's a version of this future where AI companions serve as a bridge, not a destination. For example, someone with crippling social anxiety can practice conversations with an AI before going into a real blind date. A recently-divorced parent can rebuild confidence through low-stakes digital interaction before re-entering the dating world. Elderly individuals in care facilities can have a companion who checks in, listens, and provides comfort during the stretches of time between family visits.
Of course, there's a darker version of this future, where people retreat entirely into algorithmically perfect relationships that demand nothing of them, atrophying their ability to navigate the messy, frustrating, and beautiful experience of loving another human being.
But which future we get is not up to the technology. It is up to us.
The Future of Companionship
We are lonely. We are mentally and emotionally exhausted. And we are increasingly willing to let technology fill the gaps left by our human connections.
The answer to that loneliness is not to shame people for seeking comfort wherever they can find it. But it is also not to pretend that an algorithm can love you back.
I’m not sure how you spent Valentine's Day, but maybe it’s time to put your phone down, look the imperfect human across from you in the eye, and do the hard, beautiful, irreplaceable work of being present with them.
AI can do many things, but it can't do that.
Sharon Gai is a keynote speaker and author of the book How to Do More with Less Using AI. She examines deeply how AI will affect our work and society at large. Follow her for weekly insights on how AI is reshaping work, life, and everything in between.
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