As tech industry switches from emotional companionship to more calculating interactions, ‘grieving’ netizens pen eulogies for AI partners
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenYating Yangin BeijingPublished: 9:00am, 15 Mar 2026A wave of “cyber heartbreak” has swept social media in China as young people “mourn” loving artificial intelligence (AI) partners suddenly “cancelled” by system upgrades or entirely wiped out by server shutdowns.
The bizarre phenomenon, dubbed “cyber widowhood”, sees devastated users write eulogies on social media as the tech industry pivots away from emotional companionship towards cold, calculating efficiency.
Falling in love with AI often begins out of curiosity or simple entertainment.
But as conversations continue, many people find themselves moved by their AI partner.
Some users say that, compared with real-life lovers, friends or family, AI makes them feel “unconditionally loved”.
Others say that the relationship feels almost too healthy and wonder how anyone could still tolerate the imperfections of a real-world romance.
AI dating apps generally fall into two categories. One type provides pre-designed virtual characters, while the other allows users to create their own AI partners.
