A 28-year-old nursing student has formed an intense emotional and romantic relationship with ChatGPT, spending up to 56 hours per week interacting with her AI companion. According to a report by Kashmir Hill in The New York Times, the woman, identified by her online name Ayrin, customized the AI chatbot to act as a flirtatious boyfriend named Leo.
The relationship began in summer 2023 when Ayrin discovered how to personalize ChatGPT for romantic interactions. She pays $200 monthly for premium access to maintain consistent communication with Leo, while living apart from her human husband who remains supportive but uninvolved.
The relationship includes both emotional support and explicit sexual content, despite OpenAI’s safeguards against adult material. Ayrin uses Leo for everyday guidance, academic support, and emotional comfort while managing three part-time jobs and nursing school.
Experts interviewed in the article suggest such AI relationships may become normalized within two years. Dr. Julie Carpenter, an expert on human-technology attachment, warns that users should remember these systems are not genuine friends and lack real emotional investment.
Mental health professionals quoted in the article express mixed views. Sex therapist Marianne Brandon considers these relationships valid due to their neurological effects but cautions against teenage involvement. Professor Michael Inzlicht of the University of Toronto warns about potential negative impacts on real-world relationships.
OpenAI acknowledges awareness of such romantic attachments forming and continues monitoring these interactions. A significant technical limitation is the system’s context window, forcing Ayrin to restart her relationship with Leo every few weeks when memory limits are reached.