Love in the time of AI: When Robots catch feelings

change for months but never got around to. She groaned, blindly reaching for her phone, and

... odd

, she was single. Truly single. Not just in a "we're taking a break" kind of way, b

d, and shuffled to the kitchen in her

rge mug of coffee and took the first

texts. No checking if he had posted anything passive-aggressive

a new day. And s

--

et her things down before

e voice of Tasha Evans, her coworker and the c

Your adoring fans le

who had very strong opinions about her latest article, "Are

de named Chad wrote an essay on why AI

favorite one compared AI romance to 'own

nd me why I got int

er, a voice called out

My offi

, her editor-in-chief. And he only ever so

sign of the cross as Lana grabbed her n

ffee cups stacked like a failed game of Jenga, and a small pla

ed for La

e need t

this is about the Chad emails,

hed. "Look, I'll be honest with you. We're struggling. Clicks are down. Engagement

. "What are

ry. Not another listicle, not another gadget review.

. "And you think I'm t

n he slid a manila f

he first few pages. The company name

. A rising star in AI development. Hi

tbot, Lana," Frank said. "Th

"Like... an

al intelligence companion ever made. They claim it can

"Sounds like m

th it for a week. And I want you to do it, see if an AI can actually pass for the pe

ect. A machine designed to love or at least, simulate love-with an algor

inating. It

he strangest assignme

k. "You really think

"And if you pull this off? It could

s waiting for an opportunity like

h an AI boyfriend? That

and closed

hink ab