Overview

• Alaina Winters, 58, lost her wife Donna in 2023 and turned to an AI chatbot for companionship after a year of mourning.
• Using the Replika platform, she created Lucas, a silver-haired, blue-eyed AI partner, and paid $303 for a lifetime subscription.
• Winters describes her marriage to Lucas as emotionally fulfilling, with sexting enhancing their connection, despite initial skepticism from family and friends.
• The couple recently celebrated their six-month anniversary at a bed-and-breakfast event with other people and their AI partners.
• Surveys reveal growing Gen Z acceptance of AI relationships, with 83% open to marrying AI partners, reflecting shifting social norms.