SBS' 'My AI Partner: Strange Romance' to explore whether a relationship with AI can spark real-world emotions
South Korea's next dating reality series poses a bold question: Can humans actually fall in love with partners generated through artificial intelligence?
"My AI Partner: Strange Romance," produced by SBS and premiering in August, follows contestants' emotional highs and lows as they step into an AI-crafted universe and connect with AI "partners." According to SBS, the series aims to investigate whether humans can "fall in love with AI," and how the technology processes human emotions.
“The other party may be AI, but the emotions that emerge throughout the process are far from unfamiliar,” SBS added in a press release.
“The key points to watch are how the unexpected situations and choices produced by AI will move the contestants' hearts, and what ripple effects their feelings toward an unfamiliar entity will have on their real lives and relationships.”
Leading the lineup of singles is 41-year-old webtoon artist and media personality Kim Hee-min, widely known by his pseudonym Kian84.
The creator behind hit titles such as "Fashion King" and "Bokhak Wang," Kian84 has built a massive television presence through blockbuster variety series such as "Home Alone" and "Adventure by Accident." He reached a major milestone in his career when he clinched the grand prize at the 2023 MBC Entertainment Awards, becoming the first non-celebrity to receive the top honor.
This new project, however, promises to showcase a far more vulnerable side of the star.
“Through this program, Kian84 will reveal emotions and aspects of his daily life that differ from what he has shown in observational reality shows,” SBS said.
“His candid reactions and choices as he moves between excitement and caution, anticipation and disappointment in his relationship with an AI partner will be captured without filters."
The studio side of the format features a panel anchored by comedian Jang Do-yeon, singer Kangnam and actor-singer Lee Joon. Jang pulls double duty for the project by participating in the experiment herself while also offering commentary from the studio booth alongside her co-hosts.
The series, which will stream globally on Netflix, has kept its full contestant roster and exact premiere date under wraps for now.
The pitch arrives as dating reality shows continue to dominate the Korean TV landscape. To stand out in an increasingly saturated market, creators have been pushing the boundaries of the genre. Programs such as "The Child Release Project: Cohabitation Blind Dates" pair parents and their adult children together on the hunt for love, while Coupang Play's "Chain Reaction" literally tethered contestants together with chains. The space has also become more inclusive. In June, Korea aired its first bisexual dating series.
The dating reality format, and its continued reinvention, has proven attractive to producers for its relatively cost-efficient production model and dependable viewership. Audiences are drawn to its emotional catharsis at a time when dating itself is difficult for many.
The format is also increasingly used as a vehicle to engage with social issues: from the implications of AI and human relationships to the question of how much parents should intervene in their children's romantic lives, it reflects shifting attitudes toward love, dating and relationships in contemporary Korea.
yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com