Who’s your love guru?

Navigating relationships one prompt at a time, Gen Z looks to AI for matters of the heart

- Swarna Srikanth

It's 2 AM, and your crush just texted you. Your heart’s on a roller coaster of emotions. Palms sweaty, heart thumping, overthinking every emoji. Should you text them immediately? Should you casually say “hello” or go full Shakespeare in their DMs?

From asking "how to not sound overly flirty" to comfort oneself after a breakup, Gen Z is increasingly leaning on artificial intelligence not only for college assignments, but also for matters of the heart.

Today, love advice seems to be just a prompt away, with tools like ChatGPT quietly slipping into the role of the modern love guru. And, youngsters believe this "love guru" is always listening to them without any judgements and giving them comforting responses.

“Traditionally, a love guru is a person who offers advice on relationships, dating, and emotional connections without being judgmental and biased about one’ relationship experiences,’ defines Sidhharrth S Kumaar, a relationship coach in Gurugram and Mumbai. He notes that the scenario is changing and youngsters are consulting chatbots over counsellors. According to him, for teens and tweens, ChatGPT is the most preferred and primary love guru.

Quick, free, & no drama

For Bhavyashree, 19, AI tools are a go-to thing because they will never say, “Log kya kahenge,” to her confusions and bubbly thoughts. “I've asked artificial intelligence for suggestions like ‘what do I text him?’ or ‘how to not sound desperate.’ It won't judge, but will give cleaner answers than real people, without the extra emotional mess,” she says. The teenager also tells us that she asks this ‘love guru’ to give her outfit ideas for her date and tips to stay calmer and not overthink when in a relationship.