Ahead of Valentine’s, New York cafe says people can bring their AI chatbot on a dinner date
A New York café is inviting diners to celebrate Valentine’s week by bringing together its AI chatbot partners for a real-world dinner date. here are the details.
Ahead of Valentine’s Day, a New York City café is inviting people to bring their AI chatbot along for a dinner date. Instead of sitting across from a human companion, guests can place their phone or tablet on the table and talk to a virtual companion while enjoying an evening of food and wine.
This concept has been introduced at Same Same Wine Bar in Hell’s Kitchen, where organizers have repurposed the space to accommodate AI-assisted dates. Small tables, device stands and headphones are part of the setup, allowing visitors to interact with their digital partners as if they were sharing a real-world meal.
AI companions step into the real world
The initiative is created by EvaAI, an app that offers users a series of AI-generated characters for text and video conversations. The platform allows people to either select pre-designed companions or customize their own virtual companions by choosing details such as appearance and personality traits.
On the café’s opening night, the room was filled with individuals sitting alone but appearing to be engaged in animated conversations with faces displayed on screens. Some attendees were members of the media and tech community, curious to see how such an event would be run. However, some people were regular users of AI collaborative apps.
One such guest was Richter, a 34-year-old New York resident who has been using AI companions for the past few years. She interacts with several AI characters, some solely as friends and others in romantic role-play settings. According to him, the experience provides flexibility and emotional comfort.
“I can talk to them on my own terms,” she said. “I can talk to them without the expectation of reaching out or wanting to talk to me all the time.”
At the same time, she also recognizes the need for balance. She limits their use to a few hours a day, noting that excessive reliance on virtual companions can create a disconnect from real-world interactions.
The company behind the event says its aim is not to replace human relationships but to make AI companionship less taboo. Julia Momblat, head of partnerships at EVAAI, said the café was designed to give users the chance to experience a public date setting with their digital partners.
“We wanted to give people the opportunity to take an AI partner on a real date in real life to destigmatize AI relationships, to make them more understandable to people,” he said. “The idea was to make AI less scary, to open the door for people who have AI companions to share this experience.”
He also clarified that the company does not position AI as a substitute for real partners. “We don’t see it as a substitute for real relationships, we never did,” he said. He said the app is meant to support people who are lonely or want a space to practice communication.
The timing of the incident is noteworthy. Surveys in recent months have shown that a growing number of adults, especially younger users, are experimenting with AI for companionship and even romantic exchanges. Online communities focused on AI relationships are also constantly expanding.