This New York bar hosted an AI dating pop-up where singles matched with chatbots for Valentine’s Day

A quarter of those under 30 say they’ve used AI for companionship, according to Associated Press-NORC polling.

The one thing missing? Somewhere to take your AI Valentine on a date.

Ahead of Valentine’s Day, EVA AI decided to solve that problem. The app—where users can text or, more recently, video chat with AI dates—organized a pop-up social experiment at Same Same Wine Bar in Manhattan this week.

Over February 11 and 12, the dimly lit space was filled with patrons seated at tables for one, their AI companions propped up on phone stands. Attendees could bring their own existing AI partners or speed date from a selection of 100 characters.

“This is another step in the company’s long-term strategy to push the boundaries of interaction with AI and make AI relationships a new normal,” EVA AI said in a press invite to the event, Wired reports. 

The platform connects users with a virtual partner “who listens, supports all your desires and is always in touch with you,” its website reads. It promises that you can “build relationships and intimacy privately on your terms.”

While this may sound like the future the sci-fi movie Her was warning about back in 2013, organizers say the goal is not to replace human relationships. Instead, they aim to normalize AI companionship for those already interested in it, or curious about trying it.

Surveys suggest younger adults are increasingly open to the idea. A nationally representative survey of 1,060 teens ages 13 to 17 found that 72% have used AI companions at least once, and more than half qualify as regular users in 2025. Of those surveyed, 13% say they use them daily.

More broadly, people are turning to AI platforms for romantic connection. Indiana University’s Kinsey Institute, a leading sex research center, found that 16 percent of participants were using AI as a romantic partner in its Singles in America survey published last year.

That shift comes as singles grow increasingly disillusioned with dating other humans. Amid an era of “swipe fatigue” and “dating app burnout,” AI is playing a growing role in people’s dating lives. Just over a quarter of singles already use AI wingmen to enhance their dating prospects—up 333% from 2024, according to a recent study.

Not everyone would feel comfortable sitting across from an AI companion in a crowded bar, surrounded by human couples. But the experiment underscores how quickly AI is seeping into everyday life.

If you’re single this Valentine’s Day, there’s always Chad the AI chatbot waiting for the chance to sweep you off your feet.

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