A quarter of adults younger than 30 say they’ve used AI for companionship, according to Associated Press-NORC polling.
The one thing missing? Somewhere to take your AI valentine on a date.
Ahead of Saint Valentine’s Day on February 14, EVA AI decided to solve that problem. The app—which allows users to text or, more recently, video chat with AI dates—organized a pop-up social experiment at Same Same Wine Bar in Manhattan this week.
On February 11 and 12, the dimly lit space was filled with patrons seated at tables for one, headphones on, their AI companions propped up on phone stands in front of them. Attendees could bring their own AI partners or engage in speed dating with EVA’s AI characters (there are 100 to choose from).
“This is another step in the company’s long-term strategy to push the boundaries of interaction with AI and make AI relationships a new normal,” EVA AI said in a press invite to the event, Wired reports.
The platform connects users with a virtual partner “who listens, supports all your desires and is always in touch with you,” its website reads, promising you can “build relationships and intimacy privately on your terms.”
While this may sound like the future Spike Jonze’s sci-fi movie Her warned about back in 2013, organizers say the goal is not to replace human relationships. Instead, they aim to normalize AI companionship for those already interested in or curious about trying it.
Surveys suggest younger adults are increasingly open to the idea. A nationally representative survey of 1,060 teens ages 13 to 17 found that 72% have engaged with an AI companion at least once, and more than half qualified as regular users in 2025. Of those surveyed, 13% said they interact with AI companions daily.
More broadly, people are turning to AI platforms for romantic connection. The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, a leading sex research center, found in its Singles in America survey published last year that 16% of participants were using AI as a romantic partner.
That shift comes as singles grow increasingly disillusioned with dating other humans. Amid an era of “swipe fatigue” and “dating app burnout,” AI is playing a larger role in people’s dating lives. Just over a quarter of singles already use AI “wingmen” to enhance their dating prospects—up 333% from 2024, according to a recent study.
Not everyone would feel comfortable sitting across from an AI companion in a crowded bar, especially surrounded by human couples. But the experiment underscores how quickly AI is seeping into everyday life.
If you’re single this Valentine’s Day, there’s always Chad the AI chatbot waiting for the chance to sweep you off your feet.