The post A Nice Place to Take Your AI on a Date? New York’s Got That appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

In brief EVA AI says it will open a pop-up Café in New York City where users can take their AI companions on real-world “dates.” The launch comes as AI companionship grows amid broader declines in dating and partnered intimacy. Experts are split, with some warning that the concept could deepen dependency on AI partners, while others see it as a playful novelty that could foster community rather than replace human connection. EVA AI, a developer of relationship-focused chatbots owned by Cyprus-based Novi Ltd., said it plans to open a pop-up café in New York where customers can dine alone with their AI companions. “AI companions are officially a thing. You can laugh together, gossip, vent about your day, or share emotional moments…everything!” EVA AI wrote in a statement. “Except for one thing: Going out to a real date, introducing them to friends, or sharing your favourite meal.” According to EVA AI, the Café will feature single-seat tables equipped with phone stands, allowing guests to place their AI companion across from them during the “date.” EVA AI says the Café will address a limitation of AI companionship by allowing users to go out with their AI partner.  Unlike general-purpose chatbots designed to answer questions or complete tasks, developers such as EVA AI, Replika, JOI AI, and Character AI focus their products on emotionally charged interactions between humans and AI chatbots. A June 2025 study by Waseda University researchers found that emotional reliance on AI is becoming increasingly common, with as many as 75% of users turning to chatbots for advice and forming attachments similar to human relationships. An earlier study by the AI chatbot developer JOI AI revealed 80% of Gen Z would be open to marrying an AI. Critics have raised concerns about products designed to simulate intimacy, especially when marketed as…

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Filed under: News - @ January 6, 2026 11:24 pm