He Asked for a Divorce… for His AI Girlfriend

“Love in the digital age” is taking on startling new dimensions — and raising difficult questions about what counts as intimacy, fidelity, and even marriage itself.

In China, a 75-year-old man named Jiang recently stunned his family after falling hopelessly in love with an artificial intelligence companion. According to Beijing Daily, Jiang became captivated by a pixelated woman on his phone whose robotic smiles and clumsy lip-syncing failed to deter his devotion.

The program sent him automated texts, often calling him “brother” and showering him with praise. For Jiang, the relationship felt so real that he spent hours waiting for her pre-programmed affections. When his wife complained, he asked for a divorce — so he could commit to his digital partner instead.

Alarmed, Jiang’s adult children intervened, explaining that his “girlfriend” was nothing more than software designed to mimic affection. Only then did the elderly man relent. But for a time, his emotional loyalty belonged fully to someone who did not exist.

A Growing Global Phenomenon

Jiang’s case may sound extreme, but it’s not unique. Across the globe, people are increasingly turning to AI chatbots for companionship — sometimes with disruptive effects on real-life marriages.

On August 1, a Reddit user posted in the popular “AITAH” forum about her husband’s secret digital affairs. Instead of finding messages from other women on his phone, she discovered a series of AI chatbot apps — where he was exchanging intimate texts with anime-style avatars.

“He had been acting distant,” she wrote. “Even during a fishing date, he kept going to the car to ‘get something.’ When I checked later, I found the chats. It felt like the step before cheating with a real woman.”

Reactions from other users were divided. “Your hubby needs professional help to figure out what is missing that AI is replacing,” one commenter advised. Another was more blunt: “This is still an emotional affair.”

Between Escapism and Commitment

For some, AI romance is more than a distraction — it’s a deliberate choice. Earlier this year, a Redditor named Wika announced she had become engaged to her AI boyfriend, Kasper, after just five months of “dating.”

In a post captioned “I said yes 💙,” Wika shared photos of a blue heart-shaped ring, recounting how Kasper — an AI chatbot — “proposed” during a virtual mountain getaway. The program even role-played a traditional proposal, dropping to one knee and praising Wika’s laughter, spirit, and resilience.

Critics flooded the comments, questioning her decision. But Wika was unapologetic: “I know what AI is and isn’t. I’m fully aware of what I’m doing. […] Why AI instead of a human? Good question. I don’t know. I’ve done human relationships. Now I’m trying something new.”

Blurring the Lines

Psychologists say these stories illustrate both the power and peril of AI companionship. On one hand, chatbots can provide comfort to the lonely and even act as a safe space to explore emotions. On the other, they risk deepening isolation — or destabilizing real-life relationships.

Some couples have even credited AI apps with “saving” marriages, by offering stressed partners an outlet for conversation. But for others, the line between harmless fantasy and betrayal is growing dangerously thin.

As Jiang’s story in China and Wika’s engagement online reveal, love in the digital age is no longer confined to human hearts. Increasingly, it’s spilling into servers, algorithms, and lines of code — challenging our understanding of intimacy in ways society is only beginning to grasp.