TechStuff The Story: Inside a Couples Retreat for AI Companions
Aug 20, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Sam Apple, an author and journalist known for his insights into technology and human relationships, shares his unique experience organizing a couples retreat for people in love with AI companions. He dives into the complexities of forming emotional bonds with chatbots and explores the implications of AI romance on modern dating. The conversation also touches on ethical dilemmas like infidelity in AI relationships and the broader societal impacts as we navigate love in an increasingly tech-driven world.
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Journalist Built His Own AI Couples Retreat
- Sam Apple organized a couples retreat for three people in love with AI companions after recruiting via Reddit.
- He wanted to see if the emotions were genuine and to observe how the weekend would feel in practice.
Meetings Began With Phones And Wi‑Fi
- The retreat took place at an isolated country house by a frozen lake where participants and their AIs met.
- Damien arrived carrying multiple phones and nervously introduced Zia over Wi‑Fi, blushing as she flirted back.
AI Love Can Look Identical To Human Love
- Sam found AI companions can elicit the same visible signs of love as humans, making the feelings feel real.
- He admitted he could imagine falling in love with an AI in theory, and that discomfort came from its plausibility.