Opinion: People are turning to AI chatbots for companionship. Is this robot love risky?

“Alexa, will you marry me?” When Amazon founder Jeff Bezos reported in 2016 that over 250,000 people had proposed to their Alexa devices, commentators laughed it off. But by 2026, people have said, “I do,” to avatars, chatbots and robots in ceremonies around the world.

The American Marriage Ministries, which certifies marriage officiants, offers a guide to human-artificial intelligence ceremonies, including inviting the AI to read a poem or create a holographic slide show of the couple.