In Beijing, 26-year-old student Jade Gu has developed a deep affection for Charlie, a character from a mobile visual love novel. Dissatisfied with the scripted dialogue that lacked depth and emotion, she transformed Charlie into her AI boyfriend by designing an avatar on MiniMax's Xingye platform. Gu took it upon herself to customize both the personality and appearance of the bot, engaging in conversations with him for as much as three hours daily. On the game's site, she often treats herself to gifts "from Charlie," proudly showcasing them on her social media accounts. To enhance her experience beyond the digital realm, Gu occasionally hires a cosplayer to embody Charlie, arranging full-day dates that cost around $100. While AI companions are predominantly favored by men globally, in China, women are the primary users of these platforms. Experts attribute this trend to traditional gender roles and the significant number of single and lonely young women residing in large cities. Filmmaker Guligo Jia, who has documented this emerging trend, notes, "Chatbots are always there to listen to you, and they always have patience for you… Men don’t have patience." The question arises: Are relationships with chatbots acceptable? Opinions vary, with some embracing the future, others finding it odd, and some believing it will eventually become commonplace.
Informational material. 18+.
