84-year-old woman who fell in love with a virtual ‘chaebol man’

Jang Yu-ran, an 84-year-old woman living in Hubei Province, China, is becoming a hot topic after falling in love with a virtual character created with artificial intelligence (AI). According to related reports, Mr. Jang spends more than 10 hours a day watching AI male videos on a short-form platform.

The person she falls in love with is a fictional character named ‘Jian Guo’, a type of ‘Farewell Governor (霸道總裁)’ that often appears in Chinese romance novels. This refers to a male figure who is dominant and controlling, but shows affection only to his lover.

It is known that Mr. Jang believed that he was actually dating this AI character. Beyond sending messages, she even wrote a love letter by hand last February. The letter included an apology for what was perceived as an argument and the question, "Do you hate me?"

After spending 1.3 million won, the family reported it to the authorities.

Ms. Zhang's family became concerned after discovering that she had spent more than 7,000 yuan (about 1.3 million won) at an AI character online shopping mall. These products were priced significantly higher than those on other platforms.

The situation became even more serious last March. After Ms. Zhang spent an additional 1,200 yuan on books recommended by the virtual character, her granddaughter reported the account to the authorities. Authorities shut down the account as part of a wider crackdown on online fraud, but similar AI-based profiles continue to appear and target vulnerable users.

Dangerous relationship between older people and AI, experts warn

Experts point out that this case shows growing concerns surrounding AI-generated content and its impact on older users. Researchers analyzed that the combination of cognitive decline, loneliness, and the desire for companionship makes it easier for older people to form emotional attachments to virtual characters.

This phenomenon is not limited to the elderly. A study last year by the Center for Democracy and Technology found that one in five high school students were in a romantic relationship with an AI or knew someone who was. In another survey, 40% of adults responded that they would be willing to date an AI chatbot and had already flirted with an AI.