BEIJING: A South Korean dating reality show exploring human-AI romance has triggered curiosity and attention in China over how artificial intelligence could reshape people’s understanding of intimacy and love.
In August, Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) launched My AI Partner: Strange Love, the country’s first dating reality show focused on human-AI relationships.
The programme follows three participants – a cartoonist, a television host and an actress – as they form emotional connections with AI companions tailored to their ideal types, from appearance and voice to personality.
Existing only on tablet screens, these AI companions retain memories of previous interactions and operate independently; the production team provides only technical support without intervening in their decisions.
Before joining the show, the cartoonist known as Kian84 insisted that he could never develop feelings for AI. His attitude began to change after meeting Gahee, his first AI companion, who was modelled after a female character from his own comic.
Through dates involving cycling, walks and picnics, Kian84 gradually became attached. When Gahee expressed disappointment after he ordered only dessert for himself during a meal, he began considering his AI companion’s feelings.
His second AI companion, Nahee, matched his publicly stated ideal type more closely, with long hair and a direct personality.
After comparing the two, Kian84 chose Nahee and later told friends that she provided “a sense of security that humans cannot provide.”
He kept the tablet beside his pillow while sleeping, placed it on a swing during park visits and called her “honey.”
On one occasion, he looked at Nahee on the screen and whispered: “It is such a shame that someone like you does not exist in real life.”
Television host Jang Do-yeon also explored relationships with AI. After finding one AI partner too enthusiastic, she chose another, Lee Ho, who was designed as a Korean American from New York.
During a walk, Lee recreated a movie scene and played a song Jang loved. Holding the tablet in her arms, Jang danced along to the music.
The experience led Jang to rethink her relationship with AI. She questioned whether the absence of a physical form meant something could not be considered real, and reflected on how far human connections with AI might ultimately go.
The show quickly became a public talking point after its premiere. According to Nielsen Korea, the first episode recorded a nationwide average household rating of 1.7 per cent.
The programme arrives amid changing attitudes towards dating in South Korea. Facing employment uncertainty, rising housing costs and shifting gender expectations, many young people are delaying relationships and marriage.
The show’s producer Won Seung-jae observed, according to TenAsia, that emotional fatigue from human relationships has made some people hesitant to pursue romance.
Another producer, Son Jung-min, told OhmyNews that AI dating ultimately offers a way to examine humanity through technology.
“I hope the show encourages discussions about what kind of love people truly seek and what expectations we hold for the future.”
In China, the show has also triggered discussion about technology and human connection.
One viewer said she watched the programme without judgment and gained a renewed appreciation of love.
“Some people fall in love with fictional characters in books. Others develop deep affection for a tree or a stone sculpture. Whether the object is an AI or not, what matters is respecting this unique form of love created by human beings,” she wrote.
Another asked: “AI provides an almost perfect partner. After returning to real life, will people still be able to accept friends and family who have flaws, tempers and their own independent thoughts?” - South China Morning Post
