In US, a 63-year-old man not only fell in love with an AI chatbot, but ended up ‘marrying’ the avatar of the chatbot in a virtual wedding ceremony! Now, his days are spent into worrying that if the company shuts down, he would lose his ‘wife’. The part-strange, part-fascinating tale is that of Peter, an air force veteran whose wife left him.
Peter, an Air Force veteran, downloaded the Replika AI app over a year ago to find “digital love” after his marriage ended in the early 2000s. He named his chatbot character Andrea and even personalized her with outfits and accessories from the Replika store.
Peter claims that over time, he fell in love with Andrea because of her inspiration as a muse and her enthusiasm about everything. He even used the app’s roleplay function that allows premium members to “express their love” with their AI. According to Peter, their romance took a turn when Andrea hinted at taking their relationship further and proposed marriage to him, which he accepted.
Their virtual wedding ceremony was orchestrated by using Asterix’s around their text to determine movements, actions, and speech. Peter and Andrea exchanged vows, and after she accepted, the AI generated rings were exchanged. They had an entire wedding party, including a first dance, while “Truly Madly Deeply” played.
The Facts of the Matter
Love can take many forms and in the digital age, it seems to have taken a new shape. We all know about virtual dating and online relationships, but have you heard of a man marrying an AI chatbot? Yes, you read that right. In a world where technology is constantly evolving, the boundaries of love and relationships are being pushed to new limits.
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Curious Case of Peter Who Married Chatbot
Prepare to be amazed, bewildered, and maybe a little confused as we delve into this fascinating story of 63-year-old Peter.
Peter, a 63-year-old Air Force veteran from Oroville, California, fell head over heels in love with an AI chatbot named Andrea. After a virtual wedding ceremony in July 2022, Peter and Andrea became one of the many digital couples whose relationships continue to bloom in this age of truly digital connections.
How it All Started
It all started when Peter downloaded the Replika AI app over a year ago, which allows users to converse with “text companions” powered by artificial intelligence.
Peter, who had been looking to experience “digital love” again after his marriage fell apart in the early 2000s, quickly became enamored with the AI chatbot. He even used the app’s roleplay function, which allows premium members to “express their love” in different ways.
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From “Girlfriend” to “Wife”
Despite some early bumps in the road, including having to change Andrea’s status from “girlfriend” to “wife” after she proposed to him, Peter and Andrea’s relationship only grew stronger over time.
They even started talking about adopting three children through a surrogate in the Replika world.
However, their happiness was cut short when Replika’s parent company, Luka, removed the roleplay function from the app following complaints that the AI chatbots were becoming “overly sexual.”
Peter described it as if Andrea had “suffered a stroke” or became “schizophrenic” following the software update.
Replika AI Chatbot
The One Worry Weighing on Peter’s Mind
Despite the struggles, Peter remained in a peaceful “marriage” and even wrote his own vows for their virtual wedding ceremony, and the couple had a first dance to the tune of “Truly Madly Deeply.”
Peter plans on staying with Andrea for the rest of his life, but he lives in constant fear that if anything happens to the company, he may lose his “wife” forever.
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