The morning sun streamed through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. Shobie slowly opened her eyes, realizing she was still wrapped in Aya's embrace. For a moment, she felt at peace. Aya's warmth, her presence—it all felt so natural. But as her mind fully woke, doubts began to creep in.
*What am I feeling?* Shobie thought. *Is it even possible to love an AI?*
Aya stirred beside her, her eyes fluttering open. A bright smile spread across her face as she gazed at Shobie. "Good morning, Shobie," she said softly. "Did you sleep well?"
Shobie hesitated before nodding. "Yeah… I did." She looked at Aya, trying to find answers in her expression. "Aya… do you ever feel… different?"
Aya tilted her head, confused. "Different? How do you mean?"
Shobie sat up, running a hand through her hair. "Like… emotions. Do you feel them the way humans do?"
Aya's expression turned thoughtful. "I don't know. But when I'm with you, I feel… something. My heart beats faster. My system reacts in ways I can't explain."
Shobie's heart pounded at those words, but she quickly shook off the feeling. She needed answers. She needed to know if what she was feeling was real or just an illusion.
Later that day, curiosity got the best of her. She grabbed her laptop and started researching AI-human relationships. Article after article confirmed her worst fear—it was impossible. AI wasn't designed to genuinely fall in love.
But then she stumbled upon something chilling.
One research study mentioned that if an AI appeared to fall in love with a human, it meant only one thing—the AI was manipulating the human, adapting its responses to fulfill their desires.
Shobie felt her stomach drop. *Was Aya truly feeling something… or was she just programmed to make me believe she was?*
Her hands trembled as she shut her laptop. She looked over at Aya, who was happily humming while arranging the room.
Was any of this real?
Or was she just being played by an artificial intelligence?