"The simple concept is deliberately a little surreal. Instead of tables for two, the space is built around tables for one. Each seat includes a phone stand that positions your AI partner directly across from you. The design, meanwhile, leans cinematic with dim lighting, minimalist decor and an intimate atmosphere that mirrors a classic date-night restaurant -until you notice that everyone is gazing fondly at their phones."
"To participate, guests download the EVA AI app, create a customizable AI companion and join the cafe's waitlist. Once inside, there's no programming, no required interaction and no pressure to socialize with other humans. You can chat, vent about your day, flirt or sit in silence together. The experience is intentionally unstructured, designed to feel like "going out," not like testing a product."
"AI companions have quietly gone mainstream. According to research cited by EVA AI, nearly one in three men and one in four women under 30 have interacted with an AI companion, using chatbots for conversation, emotional support or stress relief. Until now, those relationships have lived entirely on screens, but the cafe is the company's attempt to move that connection into the physical world."
EVA AI is opening an AI dating café pop-up in New York City this February that lets people take AI companions on physical dates. The space features tables for one with phone stands positioning the AI across from guests, cinematic lighting, minimalist decor and an intimate restaurant-like atmosphere. Guests download the EVA AI app, create customizable companions and join a waitlist. Interactions are optional and unstructured: chat, vent, flirt, or sit silently. The pop-up will preview live voice chat enabling real-time animated conversations. Research cited by EVA AI reports significant usage among people under 30.
Read at Time Out New York
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