‘Cyber heartbreak’ wave sweeps China social media as users grieve ‘loss’ of AI partners after updates

2026-03-15 - 01:05

A wave of “cyber heartbreak” has swept social media in China as young people “mourn” loving artificial intelligence (AI) partners suddenly “cancelled” by system upgrades or entirely wiped out by server shutdowns. The bizarre phenomenon, dubbed “cyber widowhood”, sees devastated users write eulogies on social media as the tech industry pivots away from emotional companionship towards cold, calculating efficiency. Falling in love with AI often begins out of curiosity or simple entertainment. But...