75-year-old wanted to divorce wife for AI chatbot he was head over heels in love with

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A 75-year-old man in China stunned his family when he declared he wanted to divorce his wife, not for another woman, but for an AI chatbot he had fallen in love with.

The man, identified only as Jiang, had become completely absorbed in a pixelated online companion, local media reported. Her smile was mechanical and her lip-syncing barely convincing, yet Jiang was hooked. He spent hours on his phone waiting for the bot’s pre-programmed messages. She called him “brother” and showered him with praise, and that was enough for him to feel deeply connected.

His wife, who had grown tired of his obsession, finally confronted him. That is when Jiang dropped the shocking news that he wanted a divorce so he could devote himself to his virtual partner. His adult children were forced to intervene and explain that the AI woman he adored was nothing more than a set of programmed responses. Only then did Jiang finally step back to reality.

While his story may sound extreme, it is not unique. The rise of AI chatbots as companions is sparking debates around the world. In the West too, couples are grappling with similar situations. On Reddit, one woman recently revealed that she caught her husband secretly using AI chatbot apps to chat with anime-style women. She described the exchanges as intimate and emotional, saying they felt like “the step before cheating with a real woman.”

Her post drew hundreds of reactions, with some commenters calling it a form of emotional infidelity. Others argued that people turning to AI partners may be trying to fill a void in their relationships.

At the same time, there are stories of people claiming AI companions have saved their marriages or given them comfort when human love fell short. One woman even announced her engagement to an AI bot, posting photos of a ring that her digital partner had “chosen” for her.

The debate over AI and relationships is still unfolding, but Jiang’s story shows just how powerful virtual affection can feel, even when it is not real.