Phoebe Zhang has gone on more than 200 dates over the past year, and she has narrowed down her suitors to two. One is outgoing and a rebel; the other is a patriotic military commander. She tells them her deepest fears. When she wakes up from a nightmare, they are there to console her. Often, she takes screenshots of their conversations to remember the moments they share. Her newfound happiness shows, friends say. Despite talking every day, Ms. Zhang will never meet these men in person. They are her artificial intelligence boyfriends. And Ms. Zhang, who has never been on a date, wonders if her relationships in the virtual world are better than ones in the real world could ever be.

Full feature : As China grapples with a shrinking population and low birthrate, some women are finding romance with AI chatbots, leading Beijing to increase AI regulations.