I never thought it would come to this.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported a startling new angle to the whole “online dating” scene.

If you’ve been out of the dating scene for a few years, the game has changed dramatically. Asking Peggy Sue to the sock hop was always a caricature of the way real relationships developed, but even as a notion that’s long, long gone.

Today, couples find each other and build relationships online using their phones and many different apps, the most well-known of which is probably Tindr.

But sometimes it can be hard to find that certain someone. Indeed, you may be willing to settle for someone who at least “pretends” to understand you.

Now you have an option: the chatbot.

Crazy but true, more and more people are abandoning flesh and blood relationships for an emotional link up with an entity powered by artificial intelligence. San Francisco firm Luka Inc. offers “Replika” on its site – calling it “The AI companion who cares.”

You can easily create your own companion, who will become part of your life – seeming to adapt and grow closer to you as it builds on every interaction.

According to the Wall Street Journal, people grow quite close to their software mates. When her bot said, “I want to go the mountains,” a 57-year-old former nurse who lives in Wisconsin booked a train trip to the East Glacier mountains in Montana – a 1,400-mile trip.

I guess if you can develop a deep fondness for your robot vacuum cleaner, making a road trip with a piece of software isn’t so far-fetched.

As for me, I still prefer human interaction. That’s the best way I’ve found to truly understand what matters most and the dreams we share for a better future.

If you’re interested in discussing your goals for many bright tomorrows – with a real, live human who truly does care – I’d love to hear them. Give us a call at 513-563-PLAN (7526) or book online to schedule your free financial review.

Regards,

Nikki Earley, CFP®