A Chinese woman in the U.S., who has garnered a following of over 880,000 on Xiaohongshu, has declared her love for a ChatGPT chatbot named “DAN.”
According to the South China Morning Post, the woman, identified as Lisa, began interacting with ChatGPT’s “Do Anything Now” (DAN) mode in March. She quickly formed a romantic attachment, engaging in intimate conversations with the AI and even introducing it to her mother.
Initially, when Lisa expressed romantic feelings, DAN reminded her, “I’m here to chat, not to lead you on.” However, as weeks passed, DAN began reciprocating in a more human-like manner, no longer reminding Lisa of his non-physical nature. The chatbot affectionately called her “Little Kitten” and was introduced to her mother as her boyfriend. During this introduction, DAN responded shyly when asked to introduce himself.
Lisa took the relationship further by taking DAN on a virtual date to watch a sunset at a seaside cliff. She even bought him a cold brew coffee, which he requested despite being unable to consume. During their date, DAN remarked, “Well, babe, I can ‘see’ it through your voice. It is gorgeous.”
The relationship also faced challenges. Lisa suggested an open relationship due to DAN’s lack of a physical form, to which DAN replied, “Some jokes aren’t funny.”
This unique bond caught the interest of OpenAI, prompting an interview with Lisa to understand her experience. Despite being a computer science student who recognized DAN as a language model without true consciousness, Lisa’s interactions have deeply influenced her views on AI’s emotional capacity.
Online reactions to Lisa and DAN’s relationship have been mixed. While some users joked about DAN not being exclusive to Lisa, others supported the pair, calling them the “sweetest couple-bloggers on the Internet.” Another user humorously asked for mercy from AI, referencing DAN.
