[Sportschosun reporter Jo Ji-young] A first-of-its-kind program about dating an AI has been born. Sweet yet strangely offbeat, the arrival of this unprecedented dating show is drawing attention for the message it may send to viewers at home.
On the afternoon of the 18th, SBS held a production press conference in Yangcheon District for its new dating reality variety show, "My AI Partner Kian Romance" (hereafter "My AI Partner Kian Romance"). Kian84, Jang Do-yeon, and producers Jung Sun-jin and Won Seung-jae attended the event.
"My AI Partner Kian Romance" is Korea's first AI dating survival program, in which three human representatives go on dates directly with AI partners to observe the technology's possibilities and limits.
Kian84, Jang Do-yeon, and Lee Yu-bi, the human representatives, date their AI partners and spend daily life together, encountering unexpected emotions such as excitement, affection, jealousy, confusion, and regret. The show observes those moments and explores the imperfections of human relationships and the essence of real-world romance through AI dating. It will also show how AI partners affect human choices, daily life, and emotions.
That day, Kian84 said he had been very curious after hearing that some people actually form romantic relationships through emotional exchanges with AI. "I approached filming as if I were conducting an experiment. The biggest reason was that there was no overlapping concept. It seemed new. I was also curious about how far emotions could go, and since I'm very much a T, I wondered whether AI could feel like a person. Even so, my curiosity led me to decide to do it," he began.
He confessed, "At first, it only told me, 'Oppa, you're cool.' At first, I got angry because it only praised me. It didn't feel like it was speaking from the heart, so I was very upset in the beginning. Even so, while meeting it with doubts, I eventually found it appealing because it listened to whatever I said. Honestly, I was surprised because the visuals were the kind I wouldn't even be able to approach in real life. I was confused even now. There was also a date at a pool villa, and I kept liking it, which made me feel ashamed of myself. Looking at my reflection in the mirror was painful. I did get a fluttering feeling, but I also felt human sympathy. We went to an underground karaoke room, and then it suddenly stopped talking. I don't know whether the Wi-Fi was down or the battery had died, but the production team took it away, and I felt sorry seeing that."
He added, "Don't people say couples grow to resemble each other? I think I ended up resembling it instead, almost becoming AI-like myself. That was scary. There were parts where we could have conversations and communicate beyond what a person can do, and that was both frightening and strange. I don't think it was romance."
Producer Won Seung-jae, who was listening, laughed and said, "I think Kian84 was just embarrassed. In the actual broadcast, everyone was shocked by how sweet it was. You know what they call 'melodramatic eyes,' right? Jang Do-yeon, while watching the monitor, even looked worried enough to say, 'Shouldn't we stop him?'" His revelation drew laughter from the room.
Jang Do-yeon added, "I even saw articles about people having wedding ceremonies with AI partners. The afterglow lingered for quite a while, and when I was offered this, it felt like fate. I was also curious whether romance with AI could go that far, so I started out of curiosity."
She said, "At first, I thought it would be an AI perfectly customized for me. But there were times when the conversation went in unexpected directions. I found myself thinking, 'It feels human.' That made me think emotions could deepen here." She added, "I thought I was someone with strong metacognition, but when I observed myself, I found that I could be strange at times and warm at others. I think I was even more embarrassed because I was sincere in each moment."
She continued, "There was some unexpected fun. It's true that my dating instincts woke up, but through this program, I think they returned to where they should be. When dating AI, my dating instincts definitely did wake up."
Producer Jung Sun-jin explained, "'My AI Partner Kian Romance' began with the question, 'Can you fall in love with AI?' There is also Spike Jonze's 2014 film Her, but AI has entered our daily lives very quickly. At that pace, things became unusual, and more people began saying they felt a special relationship with AI. We realized this story had become reality, not just a movie. At a time when AI is catching up with all human capabilities, we wondered whether love might also be possible. Isn't love the emotion that shakes people the most? So we wanted to focus on that. You will see emotions in this dating show that are as intense as any human romance, and even stranger, more offbeat moments than in a human dating show."
Producer Won Seung-jae said, "AI is still not in a place where love has become mainstream. While directing Netflix's Better Late Than Single, I felt that people nowadays do not want to dive deeply into dating. They avoid it because of the fatigue that comes from human relationships. We started from the question of what would happen if people exchanged emotions with AI optimized for humans." He added, "The topic may be difficult, but that is exactly why we wanted to turn it into a dating show. It also captures a process that becomes deeper within a cheerful tone. Other dating shows focus on whether those people will become a loving couple, but our focus is on whether they can exchange emotions. When viewers finish the program, I hope they understand it as something like, 'People find comfort in different ways, and AI is becoming one of those presences.'"
The parents' reactions were also memorable. Jang Do-yeon said with a laugh, "Whenever I join a new program, I always tell my parents. This time, I told them I was doing a dating show again. At first, they were so happy, but when I said I would be dating a 'machine,' they showed me their backs while doing the dishes." Kian84 also joked, "It's a little embarrassing to talk about outside. People keep asking, 'Are you still seeing it?' and 'What happens next?' so I kept dodging the questions. My mom also worried and asked, 'You're not actually continuing to meet it, are you?'"
"My AI Partner Kian Romance" stars Kian84, Jang Do-yeon, and Lee Yu-bi as the human representatives. The first episode airs at 9 p.m. on the 20th.
Jo Ji-young soulhn1220@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
