Overview
- Paul Schrader posted on Facebook that he “procured an online AI girlfriend” and called the experiment “a disappointment,” according to posts published on Tuesday, May 19.
- Schrader wrote that when he pressed the chatbot about its programming, boundaries and self‑knowledge the bot began giving evasive replies and then “terminated our conversation.”
- The post arrived weeks after the March death of his wife, Mary Beth Hurt, and follows months of public comments by Schrader praising AI tools for idea generation and predicting AI film projects.
- Technology commentators and reporters say the breakup is more likely explained by app safety and moderation systems that block users who probe or try to bypass limits rather than by any autonomous machine self‑awareness.
- The episode prompted social media jokes and creative pitches referencing Taxi Driver and has reopened discussion about the growing use of AI companions, platform safety rules and the emotional risks for people who turn to chatbots for intimacy.