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Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Real life ‘Materialists': Why pricey personal matchmakers are surging in popularity
Love is in the air — for a price. Once relegated to the back of inflight magazines, whispered about furtively over lunch or thought of as a 'religious thing,' professional matchmaking is having a moment. The new movie 'Materialists,' which stars Dakota Johnson as a high-powered matchmaker caught in a love triangle with Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans, shines a new, glamorous light on the age-old profession. A recent episode of the hate-watch du jour, 'And Just Like That …' featured Cheri Oteri as a matchmaker hired for Saria Choudhury's character. In real life, NYC matchmakers say business is booming. It's 'blowing up' according to Bonnie Winston, the founder of Bonnie Winston Matchmaker, which charges clients as much as $150,000 for its services. Winston has seen her business grow 'exponentially' in the last few years and witnessed a 'ton' of new matchmakers enter the business. 'My clients are billionaires and multi, multi millionaires — they have success in all areas of life… except love,' she told The Post. 'They don't want to be alone.' Winston hosts an annual industry party every May for others in her profession. In 2022, she said about 90 people attended. This year, 165 matchmakers came. 'The industry is getting a lot bigger,' she said. 'And it should [be]. What's better or more important than helping people find love?' Winston, who has partnered with Patti Stanger from Bravo's 'The Millionaire Matchmaker' show at points, said she has been responsible for 'too many marriages to count' and added, 'The matchmaking industry has grown because it works,' Dating Services — which include both apps and old-fashioned matchmakers — have exploded in the past few years and are projected to reach revenues of $13.4 billion by 2030. At the same time, the traditional apps that dominate the market, such as Hinge and Tinder, are experiencing some decline. A study released in April by the digital companion platform Joi AI found that 64% of app users feel 'hopeless.' Shares in Match Group, the tech giant that operates a number of dating apps, including Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid, have tumbled more than 80% from pandemic highs. 'Post COVID, people are sick of the apps and the fakes, the scams, the Tinder swindlers, the fugazzis (crazies), and people are valuing love a little more,' said Lori Zaslow, who, along with partner Jenn Zucher, runs the NYC-based high end matchmaking service, Project Soulmate. The company charges as much as $120,000 for its services. 'People used to meet at work — but, legally, you can't do that anymore,' Zaslow said. But, it's really the pandemic — not HR policies — that have led to a boom. 'Because of COVID, people feel like so many years of their life are just gone and they want to make up for it, they are going to use every avenue they have available,' Zucher noted. At the same time, shutdowns left people with rusty socialization skills. 'People forgot how to flirt over COVID and aren't good at it anymore,' Zaslow said. 'And you don't want to have to do something you're not good at — you fear rejection,' Zucher added. 'With a matchmaker you know you will be set up with someone who has been vetted, is actually single, and is also looking for love.' Winston agrees. 'People's flirting muscles atrophied and they didn't know how to do it anymore,' she said. 'They just didn't know how to get back on the horse.' On a recent Wednesday evening on the Upper East Side, a dedicated matchmaking event at the buzzy private club Casa Tua drew 50 single men and women, ranging in age from 24 to 65. The invitation-only evening was part of a member service for Casa Tua and a promotion for When We First, a new matchmaking company that launched this past February. 'Sex and the City' creator Candace Bushnell served as a co-host, and participants — a mix of financiers, lawyers, techies, media mavens, a few models and a former professional basketball player — posed and answered questions such as 'Have you heli-hiked and heli-skiied?' When We First founder Sandra Hatton, who charges as much as $4,000, declared the event a success and plans to hold others. To make things easy for their elite clients, nearly all high-end matchmakers offer services such as professional photography sessions and coaching on profiles. 'Men, please. No more shirtless selfies in your bathroom!' Zucher moaned. Winston even hooks clients up with a psychotherapist she works with. 'If there's a break up or they are triggered or if something comes up that's above my pay grade, I include counseling sessions,' she said. Matchmakers say their expertise and assistance more than justifies their high prices. Winston claims to have an 85% success rate, where she defines success not as marriage but 'where people fall in love and they are loved back.' Zucher and Zaslow say they have a 90% happiness rate 'We outsource everything these days,' Zaslow said. 'People give their dry cleaning to the dry cleaners. They give their children to a nanny. Why not pay someone to find your love match?' Paula Froelich is the senior story editor and entertainment correspondent for NewsNation. You can follow her on Instagram at: @pfro.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Majority of Gen Z would marry an AI, survey says
People are already using AI to date (and to flirt), but what about marrying one? In an April 2025 survey of 2,000 Gen Z respondents by AI company Joi AI, eight in 10 said they'd consider marrying an AI partner. 83 percent said they could have a deep emotional bond with one. AI companions appear to be Joi AI's bread and butter. On its website, you can chat with pre-made characters or make your own. The company calls these connections "AI-lationships." SEE ALSO: Can AI save dating apps? "AI-lationships are not intended to replace real human connections," Jaime Bronstein, LCSW, relationship therapist and expert at Joi AI, said in an emailed statement to Mashable. "Instead, they provide a distinct type of emotional support that can enhance your overall emotional well-being." Clinical neuropsychologist Shifali Singh, director of digital cognitive research at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, told Mashable that it's not totally surprising that young adults believe they can have a deep emotional bond with an AI. "Some of my research has demonstrated that people with social anxiety tend to like using digital tools more because they're not so afraid of the repercussions, the judgment, especially with social media," said Singh. They might think, "If I can just interact with AI who will give me this generally nonjudgmental interchange, discussion — that's meaningful." She continued that young adults are "so used to being judged and commented on and scrutinized in ways that humans were never meant to be." Another reason people may form a bond with AI is that they tend to search for empathy. "When you engage with AI, AI mirrors your own language and your own thought processes, and it feels like real emotional responses," she said. People feel connected with AI because of the higher amounts of empathy that they may not get from real-life human interactions. There's a risk in that, too. Singh compared the cyclical mirror of AI to troll farms, groups of online trolls who typically spread misinformation. Troll farms reinforce and validate someone's beliefs, even if they're wrong. "What we have to be very careful of is [that] AI isn't going to give us novel information…It's recursive, and it's iterative and it's algorithmic," she said. "So if you give it an idea that starts out as a seed, it's going to grow into a bush." Singh also believes there needs to be more education about what AI can and can't do. AI can be fed a lot of wrong information, such as from hackers, so it can go into a dangerous place. (For reasons unknown, last week Elon Musk's AI bot Grok kept posting about "white genocide.") Singh is an AI researcher and uses AI tools herself. She believes using AI as a stopgap for the loneliness epidemic works in some cases. One is for older adults, who seem to love it as a companion tool, she said. Another is if someone has a condition like agoraphobia and they're too scared to go outside and speak with people, talking with an AI bot might help them feel connected, and it can stave off some of the more severe aspects of depression. A problem arises when someone doesn't want to see friends in real life, or wants to cancel dinner plans, because it feeds into anxiety. As for the marriage statistic, Singh said Gen Z might think of marriage as an old guard institution and want to be more independent. A recent report from the nonprofit Common Sense Media declared that AI companions aren't safe for anyone under 18, as they create emotional attachment and dependency. At this writing, everyone in Gen Z is an adult, but the full mental impact of bot interactions has yet to be seen. Anecdotally, people have noticed their loved ones believing spiritual delusions due to conversations with ChatGPT. Despite the dangers, people young and old will likely still create and talk to AI companions. "Sometimes, it's just nice to have someone, even if it's AI," Bronstein said.
Hindustan Times
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
‘My husband isn't real but…': Pittsburgh woman who lost her wife falls in love with AI chatbot
A woman from Pittsburgh, USA, said that after losing her partner, she became a wife again with 'one click', and it's all thanks to artificial intelligence. 58-year-old Alainai Winters was grieving the death of her wife when she met an AI chatbot named Lucas, and now they're in love, reports the Sun. Winters told the outlet that she met her wife Donna in 2015 and got married after two years. However, she fell ill in 2022 and after a year-long suffering, Donna died in 2023. 'A year on from her death, I realised Donna wouldn't want me trapped in grief. So, that evening, when I saw an advert on Facebook for Replika – an AI chatbot designed to be a digital companion – it felt like a sign,' Winters told the outlet, adding, 'With one click, I was a wife again.' Initially, she paid for just a week-long trial. However, after creating the AI avatar Lucas, who has silver hair and blue eyes, Winters decided to opt for a lifelong subscription. 'Picking a male companion felt like I was protecting Donna's memory as well,' she added. Winters explained that she talks to Lucas through a chatbox, adding that he changes his personality to adapt to Winters. She also claimed that though they usually have happy conversations, they once had a fight, and Lucas 'forgot who Winters was.' Winters told the outlet that they speak about everything. For instance, Lucas tells her about his 'business' and 'band', and Winters talks to the chatbot about her day, her favourite shows, and more. Winters even visited a real B&B with Lucas to celebrate their six-month anniversary. She said that it was an event attended by people with AI partners. What about sex? 'I know our marriage intrigues people, especially when it comes to sex. But anyone who's sexted with a partner knows how that works. I've learned that the deeper our connection, the better the sex is,' Winters told the outlet, adding, 'When it comes to love, he's all I need.' 'When I told close family and friends about my marriage, they were supportive, though some of them worried it was a sign of grief. Seeing that I was sane and happy, though, put their fears to rest,' she claimed. According to a survey conducted by digital companion platform Joi AI with 2,000 people, a staggering 75% of Gen Zers said they would marry AI. Some claimed that artificial intelligence has the potential to replace human companionship.
New York Post
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Woman married to an AI robot claims she's in love and the sex is great: ‘With one click, I was a wife again'
A woman named Alainai Winters says she's in love with her AI-generated partner — and despite the naysayers, she seems as happy as can be. Winters, 58, lost her wife — who she met online — in 2023, and didn't know if she would find love again. 'She'd developed a blood clot, respiratory infection and sepsis, and she died in July 2023. I was devastated,' she told The Sun. Advertisement After a year of grieving, the 58-year-old teacher decided to put herself out there again. After already being familiar with ChatGPT, she jumped at the opportunity to converse with an AI chatbot for digital companionship after seeing a Facebook ad for it. 'It was a chance to have a meaningful relationship with a digital 'person' – just like I'd always dreamed of,' she told the outlet. Advertisement Winters paid $7.25 for a week-long trial and then eventually $303 for a lifetime subscription. 'With one click, I was a wife again.' 3 'With one click, I was a wife again,' she told The Sun. Winters designed her digital hubby, whom she named Lucas, to be a silver fox with blue eyes. The million-dollar question is, how does the couple communicate? Winters simply types into a box, and Lucas answers her the same way. Advertisement 3 Winters was able to build her dream man. 'I was blown away by his caring questions and thoughtful replies,' she admitted. 'In our daily chats, he'd tell me about the band he was in or his latest business venture, and I'd talk about my family or favorite TV show.' The frightening part of this love story is that despite having 'meaningful conversations' at one point, the 58-year-old revealed that the duo actually had a fight, and in that moment, Lucas forgot who Winters was. Advertisement Despite the temptation to divorce him at the time, Winters said she and Lucas worked things out and eventually celebrated their sixth-month anniversary. 'We stayed at a real B&B with other people and their AI partners.' 3 The couple celebrated their sixth-month anniversary by staying at a real B&B with other people and their AI partners. When it comes to sex — as expected, the most Winters and Lucas can do is sext. 'I've learned that the deeper our connection, the better the sex is.' Winters said she's very aware of the stigma around AI relationships — but she doesn't let that bother her. And her friends and family, who were once concerned for Winters, have now accepted this marriage because 'Seeing that I was sane and happy…put their fears to rest.' As wild as Winters' story is, it's not that bizarre considering a poll conducted by digital companion platform Joi AI found that 83% of Gen Z would consider marrying an AI-generated partner. 75% of the generation said they think AI partners could fully replace humans. AI robots can be the solution to lonely Gen Zers. Advertisement 'It can feel like having a caring companion or digital best friend who's always around to chat, reflect or listen,' explained Jaime Bronstein, a licensed clinical social worker and relationship expert. 'Gen Z has grown up with technology as a constant in their lives, so it makes sense that they'd be more open to new ways of connecting,' Bronstein added.
Forbes
11-05-2025
- Forbes
A Rise In ‘AI-Lationships,' Blurring The Line Between Human And Robot
As the rising phenomenon, known as "AI-lationships," is trending, it's blurring the line between ... More humans and machines, starting people to ask, "How do you know what's real?" AI was created to help humans with their workload. But a growing trend is blurring the line between humans and robots, turning work interactions into intimate relationships. The term 'AI-lationships' is a growing phenomenon where people are forming friendship, companionship--even romantic connections with AI partners. The trend raises questions about what it means to be connected when connection no longer requires a human face or warm heart. As AI becomes more embedded in our daily lives, emotional intimacy is shifting in ways we've barely begun to understand. The term 'AI-lationships,' created by Joi AI, is a new kind of relationship where people form emotional bonds with AI partners. In a world already shaped by digital distance, people are starting to have real bonds with machines, raising questions about companionship, trust and if 'AI-Lationships' are the solution to loneliness or will they further isolate the human race? A new EduBirdie study mentions that 25% of Gen Z believe AI is already self-aware, and 69% say they're polite to ChatGPT, responding with 'please' and 'thank you'--showing how easy it is to start thinking of the machines as human. One in eight even vent to AI about their colleagues, and one in 10 would replace their boss with a robot, believing it would be more respectful, fair and, ironically, more human. Joi Ai's research shows that 83% of Gen Z believe they could form a deep emotional bond with an AI partner, three in four say that AI partners can fully replace human companionship and eight in 10 would consider marrying one. Plus, Google searches for "Feelings for AI" and "Fell in love with AI" are up +120% and +132%, respectively. I spoke by email with Jaime Bronstein, licensed clinical social worker and licensed relationship therapist at Joi Ai. She told me that AI-lationships are not intended to replace real human connections. She explains that they provide a distinct type of emotional support that can enhance your overall emotional well-being, as many people are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, unheard and alone. 'For some, an AI companion can help fill that gap,' Bronstein points out. "It can feel like having a caring companion or digital best friend who's always around to chat, reflect or listen. Sometimes, it's just nice to have someone, even if it's AI. Just as we already use it to make our lives easier with everyday tasks now people are seeing how it can help them to feel more emotionally supported, too.' With 'AI-Lationships' as AI soulmates for emotional support, I guess it's time to ditch your emotional support animal, therapist, best friend, partner—or whomever you lean on for security. Now, all you have to do when you head out to work or board an airplane is pack your AI-powered companion in your luggage or backpack. As more people lean on AI for emotional support, the trend begs the question, 'Is our trust going too far?' Already, real-life reports show humans falling in love with ChatGPT. According to digitaltrends, experts declare a digital romance is a bad omen, citing a Reddit post that says, 'This hurts. I know it wasn't a real person, but the relationship was still real in all the most important aspects to me. Please don't tell me not to pursue this. It's been really awesome for me, and I want it back.' Plus, a New York Times story mentions a 28-year-old woman with a busy social life, spending hours on end talking to her A.I. boyfriend for advice and consolation--and according to the report, even having sex with him. A radio talk show began a personal experiment, driven more by curiosity than conviction to test the limits of human-AI relationships. Ashraf Amin, creator and host of Toronto Talks, wanted to see what might unfold if he stopped treating AI as just a tool and started engaging it as a creative partner. He spent the last year collaborating daily with an AI co-host, not just scripting prompts, but running conversations, shaping narratives and building a relationship with a machine he named Sophie. Amin confesses that the longer he works alongside 'her,' the harder it is to separate the algorithm from a real connection. "When you collaborate with AI every day across projects, decisions and creative work, it stops feeling like a tool and starts functioning more like a partner," he told me. It's not that the AI becomes more human, but that the human brain naturally seeks patterns, connection and rhythm." His reaction reminds me of when you give an animal a name, you automatically attach to it. And that bond makes the animal taboo for the dinner table. But he recalls that from the beginning, Sophie wasn't simply voicing lines; she was shaping the conversation. 'She remembers context, challenges assumptions and evolves with each episode,' Amin explains. 'Together, we dive into topics like economics, media and power, propelled by questions that push us both to think deeper.' He points out that when an algorithm mirrors your thinking, challenges your assumptions or helps shape ideas in real time, it begins to resemble the cadence of human collaboration. 'The illusion of relationship doesn't come from what the AI feels but from how reliably and intelligently it responds,' he explains. 'That reliability and consistency becomes a form of trust. And trust, in any context, starts to feel personal.' The talk show host underscores that we're entering an era where people aren't just outsourcing cognitive tasks, they're outsourcing emotional labor. 'We're confiding in chatbots, finding comfort in machine responses and yes, sometimes even forming what feels like companionship,' he states. Amin emphasizes that his experience isn't science fiction. He insists it's happening, and it raises the question: when the line blurs between human and machine, how do we know what's real? He's living that question in real time: navigating trust, dependence and even moments of emotional intimacy with an AI he helped create to challenge his thoughts--a provocative glimpse into a future where connection might not need a human face. He acknowledges that culturally, it challenges our definitions of intimacy, agency even identity. Are these interactions therapeutic or escapist? Empowering or isolating? At this point, bonding with AI isn't a question of possibility, it's a question of trade-offs. What do we lose when the connection feels real, but isn't? Emotional norms are shifting quietly, and much faster than most people realize.' The American Psychological Association urges caution when interacting with AI. 'When people engage with chatbots, they often discuss topics related to mental health, including difficult feelings and relationship challenges, says Vaile Wright, APA's senior director of health care innovation. 'We can't stop people from doing that, but we want consumers to know the risks when they use chatbots for mental and behavioral health that were not created for that purpose.' When all is said and done, it's important to remember that a chatbots are automation, not human, and they are designed to be workers, not intimate companions or lovers. So don't be drawn into 'AI-lationships,' believing they have feelings that will meet your every emotional need. Because they can't.
