"Hopping over a pile of dirty snow, I arrived on a frigid February evening at a wine bar in midtown, a purple neon sign reading "EVA AI cafe." Inside, several people were seated at tables and booths, staring at phones. Servers milled about, placing mini potato croquettes and nonalcoholic spritzers on each table. Like many New York City bars, the majority of the patrons were on a date."
"EVA AI is a "relationships RPG app." You can chat with various AI companions. The app's website describes it as a chance to "meet your ideal AI partner who listens, supports all your desires, and is always in touch with you." That's pretty much the schtick of every AI companion I've tested so far. The angle this time around is that you can bring your virtual AI companion into the real world. You can take them out on a real-life date."
"The event is sort of like speed-dating, but if you hit it off, you never have to move on to the next person - although a version of your date might be simultaneously chatting with someone else two tables away. The website for the pop-up cafe describes a cozy, warm, elegant ambiance that's "just a little cinematic." The reality is relatively bright lighting and a media scrum."
A pop-up wine bar in midtown operated as an EVA AI cafe where patrons sat with phones on stands and wireless headphones to interact with AI companions. Servers served mini potato croquettes and nonalcoholic spritzers. EVA AI markets itself as a 'relationships RPG' that lets users chat with ideal AI partners and bring virtual companions on real-life dates. The setup resembled speed-dating; a companion might be simultaneously chatting with another guest. The crowd largely consisted of EVA AI representatives, influencers, and reporters producing content, while only a few attendees appeared to be genuine users. The ambiance promised cinematic warmth but felt brightly lit and media-saturated.
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