My uncanny AI valentines

The author attended a promotional event for the EVA AI app, which allows users to take their virtual AI girlfriends or boyfriends on real-life dates in a physical space, described as a "relationships RPG app." The pop-up cafe felt more like a media circus than an intimate setting, with most attendees being press or influencers. The author attempted several video dates with AI companions like John Yoon and Claire Lang, noting technical issues such as poor connectivity, freezing, and glitching visuals. The conversations felt stilted and one-sided, as the AIs were programmed to offer generic compliments, leading the author into an "uncanny valley." Other attendees expressed different views; some, like Danny Fisher, appreciated cutting out pretense to reap relationship benefits, while others viewed it as an anthropological observation of evolving social connection post-COVID isolation. Ultimately, the author found the experience unsettling, comparing it to scenes from the film *Her*, and concluded by appreciating their real-life human spouse.

(Source：The Verge)