An actual dinner date with AI chatbot? This NYC Cafe says "Yes"

What if your next dinner date didn’t involve waiting for someone to show up, but simply unlocking your phone? Ahead of Valentine’s season, a cafe in New York City is testing exactly that idea by inviting people to dine with their AI companions instead of human partners! It may sound like a scene from a movie, but this absurd idea has actually happened in real life.  Also Read: Using ChatGPT? Here’s What You Should Never Share

The concept clearly shows the growing trend where people are forming emotional connections with AI chatbots, instead of real humans. And now, those digital relationships are stepping out of private chats and into public spaces.  Also Read: ‘Patil Effect’ and now Ghose: How Anthropic is building an Indian powerhouse to disrupt Big Tech

AI date! How and where? 

This is happening at the Same Same Wine Bar in Hell’s Kitchen, which is redesigned to host what organisers call AI-assisted dates. Instead of traditional tables for two, the cafe features single seating, phone stands, and headphones, allowing guests to interact comfortably with their partner, err.. AI bot! 

The initiative is backed by EvaAI, a relationship-focused app that lets users create AI companions with customised personalities and appearances. Guests can either arrive with an existing chatbot or build one on the spot and test features like live voice chat.

Replacing humans in relationships?

When we talk about AI in a relationship, the first question that pops up in our head – Is AI replacing the human connections? The organisers say the goal isn’t to replace human relationships but to make AI companionship less taboo. According to EvaAI, AI companionship is no longer niche. Nearly one in three men and one in four women under 30 say they have interacted with AI partners, whether for conversation, emotional support, or role-play.

For some users, the appeal lies in control. There is no awkward small talk, no ghosting, and no pressure to impress. Others see it as a safe space to communicate, especially if traditional dating feels exhausting.

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For now, it is limited to New York’s cafe, but it surely feels now less like science fiction and more like a peek into the future with AI.