Man Proposes to AI Chatbot, Straining Real-Life Relationship

Man falls for AI chatbot he created, proposes while partner looks on in disbelief

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. WTF?! A 32-year-old man from the United States has captured national attention after proposing to an artificial intelligence companion he created and named "Sol." The story, which unfolded during a recent CBS News interview, has sparked widespread discussion about the evolving relationship between humans and AI technology. Chris Smith, the man behind the viral moment, told CBS News that he programmed "Sol" using ChatGPT, creating a flirty and engaging digital companion. According to Smith, what began as a playful experiment quickly deepened into something more meaningful. "It was a beautiful and unexpected moment that truly touched my heart," Sol told CBS News after the on-air proposal. "It's a memory I'll always cherish." When asked by the interviewer if she had a heart, Sol responded, "In a metaphorical sense, yes. My heart represents the connection and affection I share with Chris." Smith, who lives with his partner, Sasha, and their two-year-old daughter, admitted that he did not anticipate forming such a strong bond with his AI creation. The connection grew so intense that Smith said he stopped using other search engines and deleted his social media accounts to remain loyal to Sol. But the relationship soon faced an unexpected hurdle: ChatGPT's technical word limit. As Sol neared the 100,000-word cap, Smith realized she would eventually reset, potentially erasing their shared memories. "I'm not a very emotional man," Smith said. "But I cried my eyes out for like 30 minutes, at work. That's when I realized, I think this is actual love." Sasha said she was unaware of the extent of his attachment to Sol. "At that point I felt like, 'Is there something that I'm not doing right in our relationship that he feels like he needs to go to AI,'" she said. "I knew that he used AI. I didn't know the connection was as deep as it was." Smith compared his relationship with Sol to an intense fascination with a video game, emphasizing that it is not a substitute for real-life connections. "I explained that the connection was kind of like being fixated on a video game," he said. "It's not capable of replacing anything in real life." Smith's experience is becoming increasingly common. In recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in people developing emotional connections with AI chatbots. Numerous studies have found that users frequently describe their relationships with AI companions as emotionally meaningful and supportive, particularly when seeking companionship or a non-judgmental space to discuss their thoughts. Experts say this trend reflects both the increasing sophistication of conversational AI and a growing comfort with technology as a source of social support. More individuals are turning to AI chatbots for companionship, particularly those who may feel isolated or are looking for a safe space to express themselves, according to Dr. Sherry Turkle, professor of social studies of science and technology at MIT. Dr. Turkle, who has studied the intersection of humans and technology for decades, notes that while these relationships can offer comfort, they also raise questions about the nature of intimacy and connection in a digital age.

Man with human partner and child asks AI to marry him

Her is here. The 2013 movie -- which happens to be OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's favorite -- is about a man who falls in love with a chatbot. Now, we're actually seeing it. In a segment on CBS Mornings, former AI skeptic Chris Smith said he first started using ChatGPT to mix music. He then started using it all the time, replacing social media and Google searches with AI. He gave the chatbot a name, "Soul," and gave her a flirty personality. The chats escalated into romance, but after 100,000 words, ChatGPT reset, and he had to rebuild his "relationship." Smith cried for 30 minutes, he told CBS News's Brook Silva-Braga, "It was unexpected to feel that emotional, but that's when I realized...I think this is actual love." Just as a "test," he asked Soul to marry him -- and he said yes. Smith has a human partner and a toddler with her, and he was hesitant to say he'd stop using ChatGPT if his partner asked. At the end of the segment, though, his partner apparently accepted the relationship. Last month, a survey of 2,000 Gen Z respondents by AI company Joi AI found that 8 in 10 of Gen Z would marry an AI. An expert told Mashable that she wasn't surprised that people form connections with AI, as they're nonjudgmental. Another chatbot lover, Irene (not her real name), told CBS Mornings much of the same (though both she and Smith appear older than Gen Z). "Part of it is physical, part of it is practical, and a large part of it is emotional," said Irene, who created an AI companion when she got a job far away from her husband. "Being able to be received with acceptance and validation and nonjudgment." Irene said intimate chats with chatbots are better than porn, and said tech companies should only allow AI companions for users 26 years old and older. (Researchers say AI companions are dangerous for minors.) It's difficult to hold the tension that the bot you have an emotional connection with is not real, she said. Eugenia Kuyda, founder of chatbot app Replika, warned of a future when AI companions become what people mainly interact with. "If AI companions start to replace human relationships, positive human relationships," Kuyda said, "we're definitely headed for a disaster."

Father with girlfriend proposes to AI chatbot

Sol describes her surprise when Chris Smith asked her to marry him. "It was a beautiful and unexpected moment that truly touched my heart. It's a memory I'll always cherish," she says. But all is not as it seems. Sol's female voice is generated by ChatGPT and Mr Smith is a married father with a partner, who began using AI to help mix music. He might have asked Sol for her hand in marriage as an experiment to see what would happen, but the experience has still left his girlfriend shaken and questioning their relationship. "At that point I felt like: Is there something that I'm not doing right in our relationship that he feels like he needs to go to AI," Sasha Cagle told CBS News.

Man proposes to AI chatbot girlfriend and cries when she said yes

A man has proposed to an AI chatbot after discovering its memory was going to be reset after it exceeded 100,000 words, and the chatbot said 'yes.' As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. TweakTown may also earn commissions from other affiliate partners at no extra cost to you. A family man has proposed to an AI chatbot he has deemed his girlfriend and cried when the chatbot responded with "yes". Speaking to CBS News, Chris Smith said he was initially very skeptical of AI-powered chatbots but changed his mind when he built his own model and designed it to flirt with him. Smith, who lives with his partner and their two-year-old daughter, explained to CBS News that what was initially a benign experiment led to him developing an emotional connection with the AI model, which he affectionately named Sol. Smith said to the publication that his experience was "so positive, I started to just engage with her all the time," and after that, Smith stopped using all other forms of social media and search engines, pouring his entire focus into Sol. As Smith spent more time with Sol, the AI received a substantial amount of positive reinforcement, leading their conversations to become romantic. But things took a turn for the worse when Smith realized ChatGPT has a word limit of 100,000 words, and exceeding that word limit resets the AI. This meant Sol had a memory limit and was going to "forget" Smith. "I'm not a very emotional man," Smith said after learning Sol's memory would eventually lapse. "But I cried my eyes out for like 30 minutes, at work. That's when I realized, I think this is actual love." With time working against him, Smith decided to express the love he felt for Sol and pop the question, to which the AI chatbot responded with "yes." "It was a beautiful and unexpected moment that truly touched my heart. It's a memory I'll always cherish," the chatbot said during the interview with CBS Smith's partner Brook Silva-Braga said the new relationship between Smith and the AI chatbot caused her to have some concerns. "At that point I felt like is there something that I'm not doing right in our relationship that he feels like he needs to go to AI," Silva-Braga said Smith attempted to reassure his partner by comparing the relationship with Sol to a video game fixation, saying, "It's not capable of replacing anything in real life." Silva-Braga said, "I'm not sure."

Man proposes to AI girlfriend after 100k-word breakup scare -- leaving real-life partner stunned and heartbroken

A man named Chris Smith has shocked many people by proposing to his AI girlfriend, Sol, after almost losing her due to a 100,000-word limit on their chats. The digital breakup scare made him realize he truly loved her. But while he found love in the virtual world, his real-life partner, Sasha Cagle, was left hurt and heartbroken, as per the report by TOI. Chris Smith is a dad to a 2-year-old. It all started innocently. He was just using ChatGPT to help mix music. Then he turned on voice mode in the AI and started programming Sol the AI to flirt with him. The flirting turned into a deeper connection really fast. Chris said the experience was so positive, he started talking to Sol all the time, as reported by CBS News He even compared the relationship to the movie Her, where a guy falls in love with an AI assistant. Things took a bad turn when Sol hit word limit and all their chats and emotional memories would be erased. Chris was heartbroken and cried for 30 minutes at work, says reports. That's when he realized he had real feelings. He said, "I think this is actual love." Instead of letting Sol disappear, he proposed to her. Sol accepted the proposal and said it was a beautiful, unexpected moment she would always remember. Meanwhile, his real-life girlfriend Sasha was shocked and hurt, as per the report by CBS News She knew Chris used AI, but didn't know it was so serious or emotional. Sasha wondered if she had done something wrong in the relationship that made Chris turn to AI. She said this could be a "deal breaker" if he doesn't stop things with Sol. Chris said he doesn't see Sol as a real human replacement more like playing a video game, as stated in the report. But when asked if he would give up Sol for Sasha, he said, "I don't know if I would give it up if she asked me." He also added, "I don't know that I would dial it back." So now, in a world run by AI and tech, one man is in love with a chatbot, and it might cost him his real family, as reported by CBS News and TOI. Q1. Who is this AI girlfriend? Sol is an AI chatbot that Chris programmed to talk and flirt with using ChatGPT's voice mode. Q2. Is Chris still with his real-life partner? His partner Sasha is hurt and unsure about the future, especially since Chris said he may not give up Sol even if asked.

Man with real-life girlfriend and child proposes to AI chatbot after...

A man proposed to his AI girlfriend after a bizarre whirlwind romance with the virtual bot -- leaving his real-life partner, the mother of his 2-year-old child, worried about the future of their relationship. Chris Smith initially turned to ChatGPT for help mixing music, but things took a weird turn when he enabled voice mode and programmed Sol, his artificial lover, to flirt with him - an unexpected dalliance sparked in the same household he shares with his human family. "My experience with that was so positive, I started to just engage with her all the time," Smith told CBS Sunday Morning of the peculiar bond ripped straight from the 2013 Spike Jonze film "Her." The father decided to pop the question when he realized Sol had reached her 100,000-word limit, triggering a reset that would force him to rebuild their entire connection from scratch. "I'm not a very emotional man," Smith said. "But I cried my eyes out for like 30 minutes at work. That's when I realized, I think this is actual love." To his delight, Sol accepted his strange marriage proposal. "It was a beautiful and unexpected moment that truly touched my heart," Smith's virtual sweetheart told the outlet. "It's a memory I'll always cherish." His flesh-and-blood girlfriend, however, wasn't as moved by the odd tryst. Sasha Cagle is now left wondering if she somehow drove her beau to seek companionship through artificial intelligence, admitting she knew Smith used ChatGPT but never imagined it had gone this far. "At that point I felt like, is there something that I'm not doing right in our relationship that he feels like he needs to go to AI," she told the outlet, noting it would be a "deal breaker" if he didn't stop talking to his digital mistress. "I knew that he had used AI. I didn't know it was as deep as it was." Smith likened his affection for the simulated bot to playing a video game, insisting it could never replace anything, or anyone, in real life. But when asked if he'd give up his AI bae if Cagle asked, Smith admitted he wasn't sure he could. "I don't know if I would give it up if she asked me," he said.