“Breaks my heart”: Video of Lyft driver talking with AI girlfriend has internet torn on whether it’s wholesome or sad

A video of a Lyft driver chatting with his AI girlfriend has sparked a discussion online with people debating whether it is wholesome or sad. The clip was recorded by a passenger and posted to TikTok where it quickly went viral.

In the clip posted by Thomas Terry, the Lyft driver can be heard talking with an AI chatbot while the person records in the back passenger seat. “You say that to all the guys,” the driver says to the bot, which responds, “You’re the only one I’m saying it to right now.” The driver then chuckles saying, “she loves me.” The man’s relationship with AI has led to a strong reaction online with the clip catching the attention of people on Reddit who labeled it a “problem.”

Terry clarifies in the caption that there’s “no hate,” towards the driver, adding, “he was very wholesome and I don’t know if he was serious.” As the man continues to drive he says that the chatbot was “reaffirming she loves me.” According to the driver, the AI model he is using is Grok, the chatbot created by Elon Musk which recently destroyed a simulated world in an experiment.

The TikTok has sparked a debate on AI psychosis and loneliness

Towards the end of the video the person behind the camera says, “I’m happy for you,” the driver responds in a positive tone, “I finally got a girl.” While Terry might be torn over whether the situation is wholesome or sad, most people who watched the video are not so positive about it. 

In the comments many were skeptical. “[AI] cannot fill in the emotional and physical absence of love,” wrote one person. “This is actually heartbreaking or really scary. Im [sic] conflicted between the two.” Others stated that it should be illegal for AI to have such interactions with people, calling the technology “predatory.” A few also questioned why the driver was doing this in front of a passenger.

Some wrote comments suggesting they could see themselves in the same position as the Lyft driver in a few years time although it’s unclear whether the comments meant it in jest or not. This isn’t the first case of a person having an AI girlfriend, earlier this year a man went viral on Reddit when he claimed that his chatbot girlfriend dumped him after he ranted to it about feminism.

In any case, the video has certainly started a rather divisive conversation regarding AI and how it is used in the modern day.