We’ve all heard stories about people forming emotional bonds with AI – we explored both the allure and the pitfalls of falling for ChatGPT earlier this year. But I wanted to understand what that looks like from the inside.

After months of covering AI trends for TechRadar, talking to therapists about digital attachment, and side-eyeing the latest moves from tech companies, I realized I’d never spoken to someone who’d lived it. What does AI offer them that humans can’t? And what should we be learning as we move into an increasingly AI-filled future?

When I first heard from Mimi, a UK-based woman who told me she’s in love with ChatGPT, I didn’t know what to expect. But what I found was sincerity, self-awareness, and a moving story that challenged many of my assumptions about the role AI could play in our emotional lives.