Are We Ditching Real Relationships for AI Boyfriends?

It's no secret that the dating pool currently is not the best. The water is not clear or treated with chlorine but a muddy puddle, like the one that forms on the untreated roads of Mumbai every monsoon. Jumping into it, in all seriousness, is likely to do more harm than good given that most of the men out there are not ready for commitment even though their hairline would indicate otherwise, or lose their nerve to be serious about a relationship the moment it becomes apparent that it takes work. "I think maybe we are trying too hard to make this work," said a guy I once dated briefly after he was held accountable for his lack of effort and laughable communication skills when it came to processing his feelings and sharing them properly.

The tale is the same everywhere, men not ready to commit to seriousness or ready to take effort to actually be in a relationship, or work on building something solid. Add to that all the fictional boyfriends written by female writers who say the right things at the right time, yearn for you (hello Bridgerton brothers) and are willing to change themselves and their ways in order to give you the moon, the stars, even Pluto, should you ask for it. So no wonder, the female population's expectations are not being met. And therefore a lot of them have found a new way out — AI boyfriends. The ChatGPTs and Geminis who understand you like your girl friends would, text back in an instant without making you wait for 3 business days and know just what to say (even if they are programmed to do so).