Finding a lifelong romantic partner is a notoriously difficult task for many of those who attempt it, especially in the age of dating apps and a loneliness epidemic. The road to love in this day and age is paved with miserable first dates, dashed hopes, and ghostings. Even those who manage to get into a serious relationship often find that the battle is only beginning, and face the tough decision of settling for a person who doesn’t truly meet their needs or putting themselves back out in the trenches of dating life.

In short, there are plenty of reasons why somebody might eschew finding love altogether, or even try to find an alternate route to the relationship they desire. Dating a piece of code may have once seemed like a concept reserved for science fiction movies, but ever since large language models appeared on the scene, it has become a very real possibility for some people. Using ChatGPT or similar as a therapist, confidant, and friend can quickly snowball into something more, even if it seems preposterous from the outside.