TV Is Getting Weird as South Korean Stars Start Dating AI Characters on Screen
Real celebrities are dating AI characters on South Korean TV as a reality show turns virtual relationships into entertainment.
Imagine going on a date with someone who doesn’t actually exist.
That’s the idea behind a South Korean reality show that is pairing real celebrities with AI-created romantic partners.
My AI Partner: Strange Love takes the familiar idea of a television dating show and gives it a very unusual twist. Instead of two real people meeting and seeing whether there is a connection, celebrities interact with virtual characters created using artificial intelligence.
And these aren’t simply AI characters appearing on a screen for a quick conversation. The programme treats them much more like actual dating partners.
What happens on the AI dating show?
The celebrities talk to their AI partners, get to know them and take part in different dating situations.
One participant has even introduced his AI girlfriend to another celebrity as his “honey,” while another went on an art gallery date with her virtual partner.
At one point, she told the AI character that she wished it were alive. The programme isn’t trying to fool anyone into believing these virtual partners are real people. Everyone knows they’re AI. That’s what makes the whole experiment interesting.
It takes something audiences already understand, a television dating show, and asks what happens when one half of the relationship only exists digitally.
AI is becoming part of the entertainment
We’ve already seen artificial intelligence used behind the scenes in television and film, helping creators generate images, video, voices and visual effects.
My AI Partner: Strange Love does something different.
Here, AI isn’t hidden somewhere in the production process. The virtual characters are effectively part of the cast and central to what viewers are watching.
It also creates some surprisingly human moments as the celebrities begin reacting emotionally to characters they know aren’t real.
Whether AI dating becomes a bigger television trend remains to be seen, but South Korea has already turned the idea into an actual entertainment format.
Can you watch it outside South Korea?
My AI Partner: Strange Love airs through SBS in South Korea, while international viewers can check KOCOWA for current availability.
Official clips from the programme are also available online through SBS. A confirmed home for full episodes in the UK isn’t currently clear, so viewers should check availability in their region.
