Saturday Feeling: Falling in love with an AI chatbot

Look at all the lonely people… Where do they all belong? sang the Beatles in the ’60s, nearly two decades before the internet was officially born. And in the age of AI, a bot can seem like the perfect being to fill the void of existential loneliness. Dating and relationship apps and sites have increasingly sophisticated AI features that can deliver your heart’s desire. They help you improve the look and feel of your profile. They can craft a witty response to catch the attention of a ‘match’. They can even be the date of your dreams. AI companions listen and love without judgement, telling people exactly what they want to hear. At the heart of this emotional and digital dependency is a deep loneliness, and it’s largely affecting people under the age of 25, though of course, anyone can be seduced by the idea of an ideal companion, as Avantika Bhuyan reports. Algorithms make customization so easy that falling in love with an AI chatbot is more common than we imagine. 

I do of course wonder if some of this is the emotional handwringing of adults navigating terrain unfamiliar to them. Young people are feeling their way through the complexities of the real world, and AI, being more native to them, is a tool they’re learning to work. A number of friends’ daughters, ranging from pre-teens to 20-somethings, seem remarkably sorted when it comes to dating, drawing lines and labelling someone ‘sus’, choosing quite reasonably with empathy and common sense (I do have more friends with daughters than sons so my sample, aside from being the size of a coaster, is quite skewed as well). To consider the other side of what AI brings to the search for love and companionship, we also have a story on how Gen-Z uses AI to connect in an authentic way and where they draw the line. Before we dive into the other great stories of the week, you can find our recommendations for what to watch here.

Where chefs get their midnight snacks

Late-night shifts are part of a chef’s life. Dinner service ends by 11.30pm, and the kitchen teams wrap up after midnight, reports Jahnabee Borah. Then they take a breather, and hunger creeps in—some make a quick meal, others head home, and a few order in or go out for a bite. India’s top chefs spill the tea on their favourite midnight haunts after they’ve clocked out of the kitchen.

Swiss watchmakers face a ticking crisis

Donald Trump’s 90-day tariff pause offers brief relief to Swiss watchmakers, but the luxury industry's lucrative US market remains under pressure from looming trade threats. Between 1-7 April, Geneva was supposed to be abuzz with the world’s biggest annual watch fair—Watches and Wonders, but instead everyone was discussing tariffs. Since the pandemic, the US has been the biggest market for Switzerland’s luxury watches, and its storied brands will need to re-think their strategy, writes Bibek Bhattacharya.

All you need to know about the ISL Final 2025

Mohun Bagan, the legacy club, will take on Bengaluru FC, the team that has set the standard for new-money franchise football in the country, for the ISL Cup on 12 April at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium. While this is the third Cup final in a row for Bagan, 2023 finalists Bengaluru are back after missing out on the playoffs last season. Deepti Patwardhan brings you up to speed on the ISL so far and what to expect this evening.

It’s time to break the ‘supermom’ myth

Society loves a comeback story, and when it comes to new mothers, it demands one—fast. The post-birth “bounce back” myth insists that women should return to their pre-baby weight, performance, mindset and emotional bandwidth within weeks of delivery. And if they don’t? There must be something wrong, and this often plays out in workplaces as new mothers being passed over for projects and promotions. Researchers call this assumption that motherhood diminishes ambition, availability, and competence the “maternal wall bias”. It’s quiet, but it’s pervasive, writes Divya Naik, and speaks to experts about how companies can support women returning to work. 

iPad Air M3 review: Consistency is a virtue

More than a decade ago, when Apple launched its first ever iPad Air, it felt like a rich kid’s fancy new toy. Today, the 2025 Apple iPad Air M3 is anything but that but continues to offer interesting commentary on the perennial question around whether you can really work with a tablet and not lug your laptop around. This is the thinnest in Apple’s tablet lineup and is half as heavy as the MacBook Air. The 2025 iPad Air M3 presents a compelling case for lightweight computing, but is unlikely to replace the MacBook Air, writes Shouvik Das. 

India at the Billie Jean King Cup 2025 playoffs 

India’s climb in the women’s tennis team event, The Billie Jean King Cup, formerly known as Fed Cup, has been long and laboured largely because India rarely had more than one standout player at a time. This year has been different—India entered the Asia/Oceania Group I, which began on 8 April and will conclude today in Pune, with a deep talent pool, writes Deepti Patwardhan. The squad includes Ankita Raina, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Vaidehi Chaudhari, Prarthana Thombare and Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi, a mix of youth and experience. India have the home-court advantage and the momentum to propel them up the tennis ladder as they take on players from Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Korea, New Zealand and Thailand.

Tweed goes lightweight for the summer

Tweed brings to mind images of winter and warmth but designers have given it the summer treatment, making it lighter for the season. Khushi Kapoor was recently seen in a tweed crop top and pants from Sandro and Pooja Hegde wore a tweed midi from David Koma while promoting her upcoming movie. Director Payal Kapadia attended the Chanel couture show in Paris in a silk blouse and pants with a long tweed coat and Bhumi Pednekar turned heads at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in a Saint Laurent tweed jacket. From being synonymous with granny chic, it’s suddenly the go-to textile for Bollywood actors. Manish Mishra speaks to designers and stylists who provide advice on wearing the textured fabric during the summer.