AI Replaces Boyfriends In China, Makes Founder Yao Runhao A Billionaire

When relationship issues are brought up with women, a typical pattern is observed: their boyfriends do not respond quickly to messages, ignore on-time calls, and are impatient to hear about their day-to-day experiences. What if technology fixed these problems? Although this may not be an idea that rings true for most in India, it has caught on big in China, where virtual boyfriends powered by artificial intelligence (AI) have been a surprise hit. The entrepreneur behind this creative solution has even become a billionaire, and his success definitely highlights the increasing need for such unusual partnerships.

According to Forbes, Alicia Wang, a 32-year-old editor at a Shanghai-based newspaper, has found the ideal boyfriend: Li Shen, a 27-year-old surgeon who goes by the English nickname Zayne. Tall and handsome, Zayne responds quickly to text messages, answers the phone promptly and listens patiently to Wang recounting the highs and lows of her day. Zayne's only drawback: he doesn't exist outside a silicon chip.

The news portal further mentioned that Wang is one of an estimated six million monthly active players of the popular dating simulation game Love and Deepspace. Launched in January 2024 and developed by Shanghai-based Paper Games, it uses AI and voice recognition to make its five male characters-the love interests or boyfriends-flirt with tailored responses to in-game phone calls.

The smartphone game, which is available in Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean, has become so popular that, based on Forbes estimates, Yao Runhao, the 37-year-old creator of Paper Games, now has a wealth of $1.3 billion from his majority stake in the company.

Established in 2013, Paper Games clocked sales of around $850 million worldwide, according to data providers. The privately held studio, of which Yao is chairman and CEO, is valued at over $2 billion, according to Forbes' estimates, based on discussions with analysts and information from four data providers. Analysts peg the valuation of a fast-growing gaming company such as Paper Games at around three times the company's annual revenue. Paper Games didn't respond to requests for comment.

Players-mostly in China but also in the US and elsewhere-pay to unlock new gameplay and interactions with their boyfriends. That has helped the game top download charts in China multiple times. Wang, the news editor, for example, says she has so far spent 35,000 yuan ($4,800) to interact with AI-powered characters since the game's release in January 2024-especially on Zayne.