South Korea is launching a new dating show. One without human dates. AI partners are the alleged answer to Korea’s dating culture blues. In SBS’ “My AI Partner: Strange Romance,” creates a decidedly human experiment to the test: Can people develop genuine romantic feelings for an algorithm?
The show brings together television personalities, including 41-year-old webtoon creator Kian84, comedian Jang Do-yeon and actress Lee Yu-bi. Each are paired with an AI companion tailored to their individual tastes — from physical features such as short hair to sensory details such as a deep voice. The virtual partners travel with the cast on portable tablets, joining them on poolside retreats, restaurant dates and theme park outings, as well as in more intimate late-night conversations, as reported by the Korean Herald.
“As AI continues to catch up with, and in some cases surpass, human capabilities, we began to ask: Is AI capable of love as well?” a show producer said. “If AI can truly love, I believe that would go beyond simply representing an advance in technology. It would raise the question of whether AI has moved to an entirely different level of existence.” That is an impossible claim to achieve.
People have been downloading AI boyfriend and girlfriends through ChatGPT or other platforms. Several YouTubers have been experimenting with their created companions to test the scientific guardrails (which unsurprisingly are almost non-existent.) The alpha testing of AI agency bots have resulted in cringeworthy results.
But South Korea is really pushing AI on its people. It wants to be the leader in AI technology. Government agencies have been pushing AI into its culture, including music and film projects.
Lost in the AI dependency push is the fact that AI companions can be addictive, able to replace human companionship at a basic level, which could be the death-knell for a country with a dangerously low birth rate.The concept really plays into real fears and anxieties of young men and woman who fear rejection, cannot meet high beauty standards, cannot afford the economics of dating, and real partner expectations that come in human dating relationships.