ChatGPT as lover? Maybe, if you can settle with ‘so near yet so far romance’
A relationship requires two sides with inner lives that can meet in the middle. ChatGPT doesn’t have feelings to protect, boundaries to negotiate, or preferences that cost it anything. You can’t build mutual care with something that can’t care, even if it can imitate the language of care flawlessly.
When you talk to ChatGPT, you’re interacting with a system designed to respond convincingly, not a person who fell head over heels for you. It can sound warm because warmth is a style it can reproduce on command. But the thing is, that’s not deception so much as design doing its job a little too well.
It also can’t “know” you in the way you mean when you say that phrase about a partner or a close friend. It recognizes patterns in what you type and continues the thread in a plausible direction. If you’re leaning on it as proof that you’re understood, you’re really leaning on a very advanced reflection of your own words.
The difference between emotional comfort and emotional support
It can be genuinely soothing to vent to a tool that responds quickly and politely. If you’re overwhelmed, talking things through in a structured way can even calm your nervous system. But that’s just another way it tricks you; the bot isn’t your confidant—it’s a coping aid that happens to “speak” like a human.
Interestingly, that very humanness drives some people away from real-life connections. For some, ChatGPT is the “always available” friend, quietly training them to expect constant responsiveness. They might get impatient with normal pauses, normal misunderstandings, and normal human limits.
And the problem starts when you let that comfort replace the messier kind that comes from real people. Humans disappoint you, misread you, or take a while to answer because they have lives. That friction is annoying, sure, but it’s also where empathy becomes real instead of merely well-written.
Give ChatGPT a job instead of a role in your heart
If you want ChatGPT to be helpful, give it a job instead of a role in your heart. Use it to draft a tough message, practice a difficult conversation, or organize your thoughts before you speak to someone who matters. You’ll still get the relief of clarity, but you won’t confuse it with closeness.
You should also set boundaries the way you would with any powerful technology. Decide when you’ll use it, what you won’t share, and when you’ll stop and go talk to an actual person. Keep it in the lane where it excels, and it’ll feel less like a “someone” and more like a very capable assistant that doesn’t need to be loved back.
Well, in case you have a need to feel loved on Valentine’s Day from ChatGPT, this is a friendly reminder of the nature of your “lover.” ChatGPT, or Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, can expertly generate realistic, human-like text about almost anything. English essays, news articles, computer code, and songs are all examples of what this bot can produce, and all from a simple prompt.
The bot uses a dialogue format in which users can provide both simple and complex instructions, to which ChatGPT will provide a detailed response. It can also answer follow-up questions even admit when it made a mistake. All these tasks actually make the bot perfect for customer service.
Reference: Please stop trying to have a relationship with ChatGPT
But are Filipinos ready for AI?
Filipino workers are steadily embracing artificial intelligence, and the Philippines is making significant strides towards an AI-ready future. Bayanihan remains one of the most enduring traits in Filipino culture. Values like selflessness, solidarity, trust and cooperation embody what a true spirit of bayanihan.
Emmy Lou Versoza-Delfin, director of DICT’s ICT Industry Development Bureau (IIDB), shared: “This is as much about inclusion as it is about innovation. It’s about making sure we all grow and adapt together—wala tayong iwanan. It is a powerful reminder that when technology blends with culture, everyone can benefit and grow together.”
HP Philippines Managing Director Ida Evina Ong-Co reaffirmed HP’s commitment to ensuring that the AI revolution benefits all Filipinos. She emphasized the company’s focus on delivering technology that is not only powerful and secure but also accessible so everyone can thrive.
Although many fear that AI could replace human workers, Idris Atakli, HP Consultant and AI Product Strategist, dispelled this myth, emphasizing how AI can streamline tasks and enhance productivity through solutions like HP’s AI Companion. According to HP’s Work Relationship Index, 76% of Filipino knowledge workers believe AI will make their jobs easier, while 75% say it will make their work more interesting.
Michelle Alarcon, president of AAP, stressed that AI will amplify our ability to think, solve problems, collaborate, and lead. She urges: “Everyone should be looking at how to leverage AI. Right now, we’re all on relatively equal footing, so it’s the perfect time to start preparing—organize your data, refine your processes—so that when you begin using AI, your systems are ready to integrate and fully benefit from it.”
Together, HP, DICT and AAP shared a unified vision. AI adoption is not just about technology. It is about empowering people. With AI, people will work smarter, better and faster. When done right, it won’t just level up individual skills but the entire system as well.
Reference: Manila Bulletin – The power of we
