Synthetic love in the digital age: AI-mediated emotional investment and gendered romantic dependence.

Digital technology has transformed romantic relationships, influencing men's and women's emotional investment differently. Drawing on "Romantic Relationships Matter More to Men than to Women," this commentary examines how artificial intelligence (AI)-driven dating, social and virtual platforms reshape partner search and mourning. It analyses synthetic love-from digital mediation to AI companions-arguing that these technologies may reinforce male emotional dependency and heighten post-breakup vulnerability.