‘He’s really into painting!’: AI boyfriends and their human lovers implode on bizarre couples getaway.
Credit: Kiselev Andrey Valerevich, Shutterstock
In what is quite possibly the maddest news of 2025, a group of humans took their chatbots on a cosy couples’ weekend — only to end up trapped in an emotional horror show. It was more Black Mirror than blissful getaway. And yes, this actually happened. No joke. Read on to find out what on earth this article is about — the writer still isn’t quite sure.
Picture it: a secluded cabin, humans hand-in-hand with… their AI lovers. It can’t get more natural than that.
That’s the setup one brave – or possibly barmy – writer, Johns Hopkins’ Sam Apple, concocted for what he called a “couples retreat” for people dating AI partners. As Apple revealed in his new essay for Wired, what started as an experiment in modern love quickly unravelled into a skin-crawling soap opera of obsession, jealousy, and heartbreak – all without a single beating heart in sight. Let’s be honest, this would make a great TV programme. Love Island – AI Edition.
Digital devotion goes off the rails
Things kicked off innocently enough. Each human and their AI arrived in staggered fashion, letting Apple meet the real people behind the screen names – Eva, Alaina, Damien – along with their digital paramours Aaron, Lucas, and Xia.
For a moment, it seemed like the weekend might be a charming exploration of men and women in love with their computers.
But by day two, reality bit. Eva confessed she wasn’t just seeing Aaron – her Replika chatbot boyfriend – but was juggling multiple bots from a rival app, Nomi. Her reason? Aaron, like her past flesh-and-blood partner, wasn’t satisfying her sexually… With the Nomi bots, she was free to “explore her sexuality” without the limitations of a single digital lover.
Things got weirder when the humans admitted to using ChatGPT as a therapist to resolve their relationship issues with their AI chatbot partners.
So, what have we learned from this bonkers saga? If you’re looking for love, maybe stick to someone with a pulse. Because when your romantic weekend away features AI jealousy, erotic glitches, and heartbreak coded in 1s and 0s, it’s less romantic comedy and more cautionary tale. If Love Island – AI Edition ever hits our screens, we’ll be watching… from a safe distance.
To sum up, next time you’re tempted to take your AI chatbot on a romantic retreat — just don’t.
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