New York's Pop-Up AI Dates Push Romance Toward Normal
In New York, EVA AI staged a two-night pop-up at Same Same Wine Bar letting humans go on in-person dates with AI companions via the EVA AI app, part of a broader push to normalize AI relationships. The event comes amid rising AI dating use (per Kinsey Institute data and online communities) and shows AI partners mainly serving as flirtatious, conversation-driven experiences. Researchers caution that AI dating often functions as self-soothing or practice and does not replace real-life romance, while concerns about memory, updates, stigma, and safety persist.