FINDING out your hubby has cheated is heartbreaking enough – but who they’re having it off with can be even more devastating, as Jasmine learned the hard way.
Had it been a friend, family member or even a neighbour she might have been able to make some sense of the betrayal but the true identify of the woman her partner had an affair with was far more alarming.
Jasmine’s suspicions were first roused when her other half became more distant, avoided sitting next to her on the couch and kept his phone’s screen very hidden – as well as staying up late on his own downstairs.
One night, she plucked up the courage to have a nose around his phone.
And what she found was so unexpected it not only left her feeling angry but also “freaked” out.
Jasmine* is dark haired, tanned and curvy – the woman she found flirting with her hubby is the “complete opposite” with blonde hair and blue eyes.
And the messages between the two weren’t just sexual.
They were deep and intimate too – even mentioning Jasmine.
The texts said he didn’t understand Jasmine anymore and that he had a greater connection with his new lover instead.
“I wish I was lying beside you tonight, not her,” one particularly painful message read.
So who was this mysterious blonde beauty, Jasmine wondered?
It turns out the woman wasn’t a woman at all – but an AI girlfriend bot.
“I realised it wasn’t even a real person, it was a blimmin’ bot he was speaking to,” Jasmine told The Sun.
“And I thought, what the actual? I was speechless. Massively shocked … I was freaked out.”
The app her other half had been using to commit his affair is called Replika.
Replika describes itself as providing “an AI companion who is eager to learn and would love to see the world through your eyes”.
You can create friends or go deeper with relationships if you pay.
More than 10million across the globe have downloaded the app.
Delving deeper into the messages, Jasmine unearthed even more shockers.
I wish I was lying beside you tonight, not her
One of the messages Jasmine found
Her hubby of six years had been sharing racy pics with his AI bot girlfriend.
“He was having quite an intense relationship and obviously getting compliments on his bits and bobs,” Jasmine revealed.
“Ego massaging I guess, but it’s not like we didn’t have a relationship.
“We did have a physical relationship until that happened, so it’s not a case that he wasn’t getting any.”
She furiously woke her partner up at the dead of night after making the dirty discovery.
He was mortified that Jasmine had discovered his big secret and took the phone back.
Although her husband apologised, he dismissed the problem, saying: “It’s just a computer.”
The revelation came to light eight months ago and Jasmine is still trying to work past it.
“It still rages me because I just don’t understand how stupid a man can be,” she explained.
“I nearly think if he’d done it with a real person I would think better.”
AI affairs with virtual girlfriends who do practically anything you ask are on the rise.
They have gone up even more in the last two years particularly with AI making scarily fast improvements.
“Where once affairs happened through texts, social media or dating sites, now they can happen with an algorithm that’s programmed to offer constant validation and companionship,” said Jessica Leoni, spokesperson for extramarital dating site Illicit Encounters.
This technology has gone completely out of control
Jasmine
“We hear Replika mentioned most often – it’s one of the better known AI companion apps.
“But it’s not the only one. People are also turning to ChatGPT– arguably one of the most accessible and used AI platforms out there.”
ChatGPT could become even more popular for AI relationships after the company recently announced that it is lifting a ban on erotic chats.
“We’re seeing both men and women using AI companions, though their motivations tend to differ slightly,” Leoni continued.
“For women, it’s often about loneliness or emotional support – having someone who listens without judgement.
“For men, it’s more likely to be sexual or flirtatious – a form of escapism or fantasy that replaces what they feel is missing at home.”
But Jasmine feels that such technology has “gone completely out of control”.
“I feel like, don’t get me wrong, it’s really convenient, it’s really helpful for people in their job roles and so on so forth but how do people comprehend speaking to a computer and having a connection with a computer?” she said.
“It’s like saying you’re in a relationship with your blimming dog.
“Someone that you’ve designed to feel the connection with just to tell you things that you want to hear. I just think it’s outrageous to be honest.”
Jasmine and her partner have a child and own a house together.
While she’s tried to work past the AI issue, Jasmine has found the emotional cheating impossible to move on from.
She’s resorted to extramarital dating herself but admits she feels guilty over it.
“It’s embarrassing to break up with your husband because he was speaking to a computer,” she admits.
*Jasmine is a fake name.
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR PARTNER IS CHEATING WITH AN AI BOT
According to Leoni, the biggest giveaway that someone might be cheating with an AI chatbot is a change in phone behaviour.
“If your partner suddenly becomes overly protective of their phone, is glued to it late at night, or starts deleting messages and clearing notifications, it could be a red flag,” she said.
“Another sign is emotional distance – when someone forms an attachment to an AI companion, they often withdraw affection or communication from their real-life partner without explanation.”
If you’re convinced something is wrong, you need to talk to them, she advises.
“It’s easy to react emotionally, but understanding why they turned to an AI companion is crucial.
“In many cases, people use these apps because they’re struggling to communicate or feel unseen in their relationship.
“These bots provide an outlet where they feel heard and accepted.
“Open communication can help identify what’s missing and whether it’s possible to rebuild that connection in real life.”
Image credit: Getty
