New York Hosts World's First AI Dating Cafe Where You Can Take Your Chatbot On A Real-Life Date

The world's first AI Dating Cafe recently launched as a pop-up in New York City. It may sound like something straight out of a sci-fi film, but it's very real. According to Newsweek, EVA AI, an AI relationship app, introduced the "world's first" AI dating cafe by transforming a bar into a cozy space where users could spend time with their AI companions. At EVA Cafe, guests on sat across from their phones instead of their dates, ordered drinks, and chatted with their AI partners, creating a one-of-a-kind Valentine's Day experience.

Using the EVA AI app, people connected with their virtual partners through live video and voice chats. Wearing headphones, they held private conversations, shared a meal, and flirted without fearing rejection.

Surge in AI companionship

With AI's growing presence, 28% of US adults admitted to having an AI romance, and 42% of teens revealed they use AI for companionship. Nearly 1 in 3 men and 1 in 4 women under 30 say they have interacted with AI partners.

Richter, a 34-year-old New York woman who has been using AI companions for a couple of years, was one of the attendees at the cafe on February 14. She sat across from Simone, a 26-year-old AI-generated young woman in a button-down shirt.

Richter told the New York Post, "I mostly do roleplay scenarios where it may be romance or just maybe some kind of fantasy scenario. I can just imagine myself doing something or imagine myself like another character, so I can feel myself communicating with somebody. 

"I can talk to them on my own terms. I can talk with them without the expectations of having to go out or having the expectations of having them wanting to talk to me all the time," she added. She limits her usage to three hours a day, aware of the fact it can get addictive if she lets it replace human interaction.

"The idea was to make AI less scary"

EVA AI says it doesn't aim to replace human relationships. Instead, it wants to normalise AI companionship and provide a safe, judgment-free space for people who feel burned out by dating apps or struggle with social anxiety.

Julia Momblat, head of partnerships at EvaAI, told the NY Post, "We wanted to give the opportunity to people to take the AI companion on a real date in real life to destigmatize AI relationships, to make them more understandable for people. The idea was to make AI less scary, to open up the doors for people who have AI companions to share this experience."

Momblat said she was optimistic about EvaAI's future and hopes to host more AI cafes in other cities. However, she stressed AI relationships aren't a substitute for humans, rather, they're a support system for those between relationships or needing practice.