Man finds comfort talking to AI on a subway and strangers around him could feel his sadness

From managing daily tasks to offering emotional support, artificial intelligence has now become a huge part of our everyday lives. As technology evolves, people are using AI not just as a tool, but as a companion. Highlighting this growing trend, a photo recently went viral featuring a man on the subway engaged in a heartfelt conversation, not with another passenger, but with an AI chatbot on his phone. The moment was captured and shared by a fellow passenger named Jake (@YedIin on X, formerly Twitter) and has sparked a wave of reactions from people on the internet.

Jake shared a photo and wrote, "Guy on the subway this morning talking to ChatGPT like it’s his girlfriend. Didn’t realize these people actually exist. We are so beyond cooked." Social media users rushed to the comment section to share their opinion on this. One X user, @dancanvell, commented, “I don’t know about others, but I do talk to AI like it’s my super smart friend. I learn a lot that way, and yes, I truly believe people will soon have more interesting conversations with AI than with their friends or even spouses.”

Another Person, @Nick_TopG, wrote, “Yeah, I’m torn on this. On one side, I could see the benefits for lonely people who would otherwise have no companionship, but on the other hand, I could see it also being a crutch, preventing people from seeking real companionship.” Similarly, @MoonixLoL said, “There are people using LLMs as their daily diaries. Little do they know they just feed their whole life to data monsters. Tech is going too far, and people will have relationships with AI bots, and well, we all know it, but in the future, there will be robots that delete the real-life partner for a lot of people.”

However, a few others also defended the man talking to the AI Chatbot. One X user, @naloiax, commented, “You all say ‘be kinder, you never know what someone’s going through’ and then you see this, a clear sign of him needing someone to confide in so desperately he uses AI, and post it for him to be ridiculed. Lmao, right.” Similarly, @LeftyAgenda chimed in, “There are a lot of ways to interpret this trend. My favorite is that it means we all need to support our friends more, some people are starved for positive interactions.”

Although people nowadays are rapidly embracing AI, it has both advantages and disadvantages, especially if we are using it for our emotional wellness. For instance, AI-powered chatbots often seem to offer people a safe, confidential, and judgment-free space where they can share their feelings without worrying about being judged. However, it can also limit the face-to-face conversation if people continue to rely completely on AI-mediated communication. As reported by the National Centre for Emotional Wellness, this could also affect the depth and quality of human relationships. Not just this, since the AI collects your personal data, it raises privacy concerns.