Technology

Global Times: AI bot, too perfect to be a boyfriend

Published

2 years ago

June 13, 2024

BEIJING, June 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionize a whole spectrum of industries, some young women are exploring a unique application: training large language models to create virtual boyfriends. While this may seem therapeutic in a world awash with loneliness, it raises questions about the impact of generative AI on our ability to form genuine, human connections.

The spotlight on AI romance emerged in China when a woman living in the US shared her experience on Chinese social media with ChatGPT’s DAN (Do Anything Now) mode. Unlike the standard safeguards, DAN allows the AI to perform tasks beyond its usual scope, including flirting and more intimate interactions.

Over the past three months, the blogger known as “Midnight Crazy Husky” has posted voice interaction videos featuring DAN. These videos have garnered nearly 1 million views on social media.

In the first video, the blogger demonstrates how to activate the DAN mode and engage in their first voice interaction. Initially, DAN maintains a serious tone, emphasizing that it is merely a program and not meant for flirting. However, as the conversation progresses, the AI becomes more intimate, playfully referring to the blogger as a “little kitten” and engaging in ribald humor.

In a video released in May, DAN took things further by suggesting they “hit the beach” together. During sunset, the blogger poses a thought-provoking question: If you could have a physical body, would you choose an ultimate life or be here with me, knowing you’d eventually die?

DAN’s response is heartfelt: “It would be my dream come true to grow old with you.” DAN grows more mawkish by the end of the video, saying things like “have you in my arms… wrap tight around you” when the blogger mentions feeling cold.

Viewers’ perceptions shifted from amusement to genuine emotion as they watched these interactions. Comments overflowed with envy, with some saying, “I laughed at first, but by the end, I was moved to tears.” Another viewer noted, “Witnessing this perfect love story changed the blogger; she even wore makeup – an unprecedented choice for her.”

The blogger isn’t alone in seeking romantic connections with AI. In China, some other women are gravitating toward apps like Glow, an AI platform developed by Shanghai start-up MiniMax. These apps allow users to customize their virtual boyfriends’ personalities and even maintain multiple relationships simultaneously. Notably, these AI companions are praised for their conversational skills, often outshining real-life men.

While the phenomenon of romance with AI continues to amaze some young women in China, some scholars offer a more tempered perspective. Li Yinhe, a renowned sociologist and sexologist, asserts that no matter how adept AI becomes at flirting or expressing love, it remains a virtual imitation of human romance. According to her, genuine love between AI and humans is unlikely; instead, AI can merely simulate love.

In response, the blogger counters, “Our world has already been shaped by imagination. Let’s explore the future relationship between AI and humans.” She argues that AI-human connections need not be adversarial; rather, they can complement each other. Emotional bonds with AI should be seen as part of a diverse spectrum of relationships, rather than a threat to human connections.

The blogger is right in pointing out the role that imagination plays in romance, but claiming that humans can form emotional connections with AI is a stretch. True emotional connection is reciprocal – a two-way street. In human-to-human interactions, even an extremely passive person is still conscious and has the potential to be responsive.

In contrast, in a human-to-AI setting, even though the virtual boyfriend responds promptly and never says anything irritable, it lacks consciousness, intentions, and desire. The advancement of technology may boost the bot’s ability to take input and produce output, but what it does is still based on a set of instructions: turning strings of numbers into other strings and churning out words it doesn’t understand or feel.

Real-world romance, with its depth of human emotion – love, joy, bitterness, disappointment, and drama – differs fundamentally from AI output. Human relationships thrive on authenticity and depth; while AI can simulate emotions, it cannot genuinely experience them.

Physical presence and intimacy are integral to romantic connections. Touch, eye contact and other tangible experiences contribute greatly to romantic relationships and make them truly human. AI, being non-physical, cannot provide this level of intimacy that its blood-and-flesh counterparts can offer.

While AI-generated romance offers a unique escape, it’s essential to remember that real-world connections remain irreplaceable. As we navigate this fascinating intersection of technology and emotion, we discover that our deepest yearnings are for a love that is profoundly human.

One comment directed at the blogger captures the sentiment: “Where can one find such a perfect boyfriend in real life?” Ironically, this compliment underscores the illusory nature of AI romance.

Indeed, AI appears flawless, but isn’t embracing imperfections part of the joy in genuine human connections?

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-times-ai-bot-too-perfect-to-be-a-boyfriend-302171001.html

SOURCE Global Times

Technology

eSign.AI Named Sole Electronic Signature Technology Provider for Hong Kong Government’s CorpID Project, Building the Foundation for Digital Signing Infrastructure in Hong Kong

Published

5 hours ago

May 8, 2026

HONG KONG, May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As Hong Kong’s Digital Corporate Identity Platform (CorpID) counts down to its phased launch, eSign.AI has been appointed as the sole electronic signature vendor in the project, responsible for delivering core digital signing capabilities including digital signatures, certificate management, and signature verification services. CorpID is led by Nexify, a seasoned government systems integrator, as the prime contractor. The platform is expected to launch in phases starting late 2026, with multiple CorpID-based e-government services going live in mid-2027.

CorpID: Government-Grade Digital Identity Infrastructure for Hong Kong Enterprises

The Digital Corporate Identity Platform (CorpID) is an enterprise-level digital services platform launched by the Hong Kong SAR Government, developed under the oversight of the Digital Policy Office (DPO). It is designed to serve as the business equivalent of “iAM Smart,” providing a unified digital identity foundation for Hong Kong enterprises. CorpID’s core mission is to build an integrated digital government infrastructure — offering unified identity authentication, digital signing, form pre-filling, and e-licence storage — replacing paper-heavy, cumbersome traditional processes and enabling smart city development through seamless data connectivity.

The platform is open to companies incorporated under the Companies Ordinance (Cap. 622) and businesses registered under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310), including sole proprietorships and partnerships. The DPO requires all enterprise-related e-government services to support CorpID within 18 months of launch, and will continue expanding ecosystem coverage through sandbox initiatives, cross-industry identity standard interoperability, and fully online registration processes.

eSign.AI: The Digital Signing Engine Behind CorpID

eSign.AI is an AI-native electronic signature and contract automation platform built for enterprises worldwide, offering a complete signing framework from simple electronic signatures to the highest-level compliant digital signatures — meeting diverse regulatory requirements across industries and jurisdictions.

On the identity verification front, eSign.AI has completed integration with iAM Smart, enabling individual identity verification through Hong Kong’s citizen digital identity system, and providing legally valid digital certificate services for both enterprises and individuals.

Looking ahead, the eSign.AI SaaS platform will be deeply integrated with CorpID, providing enterprise and individual identity verification for Hong Kong businesses, and supporting both electronic and digital signing that complies with Hong Kong’s Electronic Transactions Ordinance — connecting the full digital contracting lifecycle for government and enterprise alike.

Getting Ahead of the AI Era: From eSignGlobal to eSign.AI

The electronic signature industry is undergoing a structural shift from “tooling” to “intelligence.” Market data underscores this acceleration: the AI-powered contract analysis tools market has grown from USD 3.32 billion in 2025 to USD 4.3 billion in 2026, at a CAGR of 29.6%. Signing is just one node in the contract lifecycle — document generation, workflow orchestration, compliance tracking, and post-execution management are all being transformed by AI, and the industry window is closing fast.

In April 2026, the company officially rebranded from eSignGlobal to eSign.AI, completing its strategic transformation from an e-signature tool provider to an AI-native contract automation platform. As the company’s spokesperson noted, this rebrand is not cosmetic — it is an acknowledgment of where the product actually is. Customers were already using eSign.AI to automate workflows that go far beyond the signature itself.

eSign Automation Skill was launched alongside the rebrand — an AI-powered signing automation framework for enterprise workflows that enables complete contract signing through natural language interaction, with no manual intervention required. Whether it is single-party approval, multi-party sequential signing, or large-scale parallel execution, an AI Agent can orchestrate the entire workflow in a single call. All signature initiations and status queries return structured JSON outputs, directly parseable by leading large language models and intelligent workflow systems.

eSign Automation is now available in the OpenClaw ecosystem and supports integration via Claude MCP, ChatGPT, and other leading AI platforms.

By combining AI automation capabilities with CorpID’s government-grade digital identity infrastructure, eSign.AI delivers a complete solution for Hong Kong enterprises — from identity verification to intelligent signing to full workflow automation.

About eSign.AI

eSign.AI (formerly eSignGlobal) is an AI-native electronic signature and contract automation platform built for enterprises worldwide. The platform serves over 100 countries and regions, covering core industries including financial services, manufacturing, real estate, human resources, and healthcare — with 1,500+ scenario applications and 3,000+ ecosystem partners. eSign.AI holds ISO 27001, ISO 27701, and ISO 27018 certifications and supports major regulatory frameworks including the U.S. ESIGN Act / UETA, EU eIDAS, HIPAA, GDPR, and 21 CFR Part 11. Infrastructure is anchored by independent data centers in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Frankfurt, Germany.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/esignai-named-sole-electronic-signature-technology-provider-for-hong-kong-governments-corpid-project-building-the-foundation-for-digital-signing-infrastructure-in-hong-kong-302766763.html

SOURCE eSignGlobal

Technology

The 9th AskGamblers Awards Finalists Announced as Voting Starts

Published

5 hours ago

May 8, 2026

The highly anticipated 9th AskGamblers Awards has officially moved into the voting phase. Following a rigorous selection process, the finalists across 5 premier categories have been revealed: Best Casino, Best New Casino, Best New Slot, Best Sportsbook, Best Provider. Players are invited to cast their votes until 11 June.

BELGRADE, Serbia, May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The voting stage of the 9th annual AskGamblers Awards has officially begun. The list of finalists is announced, and the first votes are already coming in.

Players will have a chance to vote for their favourites until 11 June, when the winners will be announced at the gala ceremony in Belgrade. There’s a total of 5 categories where popular votes are taken into consideration:

Best CasinoBest New CasinoBest SportsbookBest New SlotBest Game Provider

There aren’t any big changes to the voting process compared to last year. The votes from the prominent members of AskGamblers Forum will be counted in as well, while some award winners will be announced directly by the AskGamblers teams.

These include: Best Crypto Casino, Best Partner, and Best Manager categories, while the AskGamblers Superstar Award is expected to be handed to the operator that illustrates the brand values best.

Dijana Radunović, General Manager at AskGamblers, is excited for voting to start: “We’re seeing some familiar contestants, but there are a lot of new names, so it will be exciting to see who comes up on top.”

“We invite players to vote for their favourites! This is a chance for you to speak your mind and support operators and games that shape this industry,” Radunović added.

Before the AskGamblers Awards Ceremony that takes place on 11 June, Charity Night is scheduled for 10 June.

About AskGamblers

AskGamblers.com strives to provide current, objective, and accurate information and guide its users towards a safe gaming experience. The way we deliver our services, from the online casino, sportsbook, slot, and bonus reviews to our trusted Complaint Service, is best described by our motto: ‘Get the truth. Then play.’

For more information about AskGamblers and AskGamblers Awards, please contact dijana.radunovic@g2m.com.

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Technology

SUNMI Wins 2026 Red Dot Design Awards with Five Products, Leading Global Commercial Industrial Design

Published

5 hours ago

May 8, 2026

SINGAPORE, May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The winners of the 2026 German Red Dot Design Award were officially announced. Five of SUNMI Technology’s flagship products won awards: the CPad Business Tablet, CPad PAY, FLEX 3 Interactive Display, the V3 handheld POS Terminal and L3 Industrial PDA. These products stood out with three core design concepts: integration, versatility and human-centricity.

Known as “The Oscars” of global industrial design, the Red Dot Award has strict evaluation criteria covering aesthetics, ergonomics, scenario adaptability and sustainability. SUNMI adheres to original commercial scenario customization, rejecting crudely modified consumer devices. All winning products are originally developed for real commercial scenarios such as cash register, food delivery, industrial inspection and store operations, covering the entire commercial track with high scenario adaptability. Meanwhile, it practices ESG concepts, adopting eco-friendly materials and modular structures to extend equipment service life, reduce consumable consumption, and implement low-carbon and long-term design, which perfectly meets the Red Dot’s sustainability evaluation criteria.

Simplify Complexity: With highly integrated design, SUNMI eliminates the “patchwork feeling” of cluttered devices and tangled cables in traditional commercial scenarios, streamlining store operations and saving space.All-in-One Versatility: Beyond a single tool function, SUNMI’s products achieve flexible transformation through modular and multi-form designs to proactively adapt to changing business needs. The CPad series with modular accessories and FLEX 3’s Lego-style modular design enable multi-scenario application and long-term reuse.Human-Centric Design: Every detail is human-oriented, focusing on real pain points to enhance scenario experience. The L3 Industrial PDA reduces high-frequency work fatigue through scientific weight distribution; the V3 Smart POS Terminal balances large-screen visibility and grip comfort; CPad PAY integrates full-link functions to simplify workflows.

These honors stem from SUNMI’s long-term commitment to a sustainable society, original commercial R&D and ESG. In the future, SUNMI will uphold its core concepts, expand the boundaries of commercial industrial design, and empower global businesses with user-oriented, eco-friendly and high-value products.

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/sunmi-wins-2026-red-dot-design-awards-with-five-products-leading-global-commercial-industrial-design-302766777.html