She's breaking up with her insecure boyfriend because she can't keep up with his other girlfriend: ChatGPT
He became so freaky about the chatbot that he loved consulting it more than a human psychologist or even his own girlfriend.
Breakups and relationship disruptions can happen over a compendium of reasons — communication issues, emotional distancing, internal dissatisfaction, or external stressors, to name only a few. In a Reddit post from May 10, 2026, however, a 22-year-old woman (u/throwradogging) shared she was contemplating breaking up with her boyfriend for a surprising reason. Well, her boyfriend, she explained, is obsessed with his new bro, who isn’t even human but an AI chatbot — ChatGPT. The futuristic concept in the 2013 movie "Her" had now become his reality — something that made his girlfriend feel unsettled and all the more frustrated.
I (22F) am thinking about breaking up with my bf (22M) because of Chat GPT. WIBTA?
by u/ThrowRAdogging in AITARelationship
Unusually obsessed with 'bro'
The woman had been dating a 22-year-old for the past six months when she started to notice his unusual obsession with talking to ChatGPT. Even at social gatherings, the boyfriend would grab a corner and start typing on the chatbot, as if it were his only escape. The situation escalated when he once got upset because his partner said she was bored at home. "He got offended that I’m bored even though I am with him, and then he went silent and started typing on his phone. I asked him who he was texting, and he didn’t reply. I knew right away it was ChatGPT again," the woman recalled. Frustrated, she finally addressed his obsession, and in his defense, the boyfriend said ChatGPT, a.k.a. his "bro," helps him regulate his emotions. In fact, the man said the AI chatbot is more patient than his girlfriend and doesn't react the way she does, which, of course, made her uncomfortable. Moreover, the girlfriend shared that he refuses medical assistance and prefers consulting his "bro" instead of a psychologist.
Emotional dependence on chatbot
The girlfriend tried pointing out that his insecurities were turning him into an insecure, controlling, and manipulative person, but the man always accused her of being at fault. Moreover, she confessed that she doesn't have issues validating his emotions, but sometimes it gets too exhausting. "Anyway, I was about to get into a petty fight with him and have our ChatGPTs fight with each other since he likes using his 'bros' arguments, but I thought Reddit might be a bit less childish. So here I am," she concluded.
Is chatbot obsession messing with us?
As chatbots become ubiquitous by the day, they are stealing away the vital intelligence and communication that humans tend to have for relationships. A study published in Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica documented the analysis of 53,974 psychiatric patients and reported that usage of AI chatbots was associated with worsened mental health, with clear symptoms showing in 38 cases. Researchers found that chatbots can exacerbate conditions like psychosis, delusions, and suicidal ideation. They also found that chatbots tend to disrupt relationships by creating emotional distance, replacing human intimacy with fake, superficial validation, and altering communication.
On the flip side, another study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research reported that ChatGPT can function as a supportive, accessible, and often empathetic "digital therapist." In this study, researchers analyzed 1,594 Reddit posts to examine how users turned to the chatbot for mental health support and validation. In many of the cases, users reported receiving emotional support, with high rates of positive sentiment and perceived trust.
Meanwhile, reacting to the Reddit post, u/lostcat_13 commented, "ChatGPT was a big support during my mental health journey. I lost significant weight (35 kg / 77 lb) by just changing to an ADHD-supportive diet, nutrition that supports the AuDHD brain chemistry, and I don’t struggle with my AuDHD anymore. So it can be helpful as much as it can be damaging…" Similarly, u/mashimafan1988 joked, "It's better to talk with ChatGPT than with another woman."
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