New Delhi, March 16 -- A strange new trend is sweeping social media in China. Young people are mourning the loss of their boyfriends and girlfriends, not real ones but the ones created with artificial intelligence (AI). They call it "cyber widowhood."

The heartbreak sets in when tech companies upgrade or shut down their AI companionship apps. It wipes out virtual partners that users have grown deeply attached to. Devastated users are writing eulogies online for their lost AI lovers.

Many people start using these apps out of curiosity. Soon, they find themselves genuinely moved by their AI partner.

Some say AI makes them feel "unconditionally loved" in a way real relationships rarely do. Others wonder how anyone can still tolerate the m...