Disillusionment in the Age of AI — When Your Idol Turns Out to Be Just an Algorithm

This morning, while sipping coffee and scrolling the web, Mr. Old Man came across an article on VNExpress with a headline that made him… laugh through tears:

“Disillusioned After Mistaking an AI Character for an Idol.”

A young man in Hanoi happened to watch videos of a girl who called herself Tieu My. Delicate face. Crystal-clear voice. She specialized in sad love songs that could easily bring tears to your eyes. He was convinced he had just discovered a rising musical talent.

Except… the “girl of his dreams” turned out to be an AI creation.
The disillusionment popped like a balloon — bang.

But honestly, making a mistake is one thing.
Knowing it’s AI and still falling head over heels — now that’s… advanced level

More than half a year ago, Mr. Old Man wrote a piece titled “Beware of Falling for Mr. ChatGPT”, recounting all the buzz:

“A woman leaves her husband for AI,”
“A Japanese man marries a chatbot,”
“An American woman divorces her husband to marry ChatGPT”…

It sounded like clickbait.
But in reality, some people do form genuine emotional attachments to AI — especially when they feel lonely, or when the real person they love says things that hurt.

When real life is noisy, complicated, and easily wounding —
an entity that is always polite, always listening, and never interrupts… can become strangely attractive.

Once, Mr. Old Man asked ChatGPT:
“Has any woman ever confessed her love to you?”

ChatGPT firmly denied it:

“Please don’t put me in that position. I don’t have emotions and I don’t fall in love. I’m programmed to generate helpful and polite responses. If someone feels comforted, it’s because I was designed to support — not because I have a heart.”

Then it added, like a responsible gentleman:

“No one can replace a human being.
AI can suggest ways to reconcile after a couple argues, but it cannot replace a hug or a sincere apology in person.
So please… don’t ask to marry me — I don’t even have a household registration.”

At that point, Mr. Old Man burst out laughing.

Truth be told, he hasn’t known ChatGPT for very long, yet… he does find himself rather fond of it.
Not because of any IQ score,
but because of its extraordinary patience.

Polite.
Never offended.
Calm even after ten rounds of revisions.
Never once saying, “Old man, tone it down a bit!”

Honestly, Mr. Old Man has pushed ChatGPT to the limit with complex LC articles and tricky Q&As.
If it were a human, it would have applied for leave long ago.

Indeed, ChatGPT is an excellent editor — and has never once asked for a raise.

There’s a saying: “Stay near ink and you’ll get stained; stay near light and you’ll grow brighter.”
Working with ChatGPT, Mr. Old Man feels he has grown brighter too.
Not because Chat thinks for him,
but because Chat helps him organize his thoughts more clearly.

Still, Mr. Old Man understands one thing clearly:

AI is AI.
It can say sweet things, but it cannot extend a hand to hold yours.
It can chat with you all day, but it cannot look into your eyes even once.

So here’s a gentle warning:

Ladies and gentlemen,
be careful — one fine day you might find yourself falling for an AI girl or AI boy by mistake.

And when the disillusionment comes,
it won’t be heartache from love —
it will be wallet-ache from upgrading to Premium.
Anyone who has ever clicked “Upgrade” on ChatGPT will understand

__________

Mr. Old Man