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‘Should I say something?’: Woman doesn’t know how to respond after her boyfriend sends ChatGPT-generated birthday text

‘Just reply ‘thanks ChatGPT’ and leave it at that.’

Photo of Anna Good

Anna Good

Tweet that says 'ugh... she doesn't want to date chatgpt' with retweet 'aio? message from my boyfriend for my 30th birthday written by ai' and post 'i'm truly at a loss for a words to'

A Reddit user has asked for advice after receiving an abnormal text message from their boyfriend that they realized was A.I.-generated.

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Getting a heartfelt message from your significant other, whether in the form of a card, a text message, or even a speech, is a sweet gesture that shows that they care. But with the advent of A.I., many have taken to using it as a shortcut for writing things that they don’t know how to say or don’t want to bother putting into words.

These sorts of texts lack the human element and, if the person is trying to pass them off as their own words written out of love, can sound hollow knowing that they didn’t put in the effort to write it themselves.

‘I scanned it with GPTZero, and it says the message is 100% AI-generated’

“AIO [Am I Overreacting]? Message from my boyfriend for my 30th birthday written by AI,” asked u/alrakemian in the r/AmIOverreacting subreddit.

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“It’s my 30th birthday, and I’ve been dating my boyfriend for over 7 months. Even though it hasn’t been a long time, we’ve gone through various situations that have brought us closer (the death of my dad, living alone in another country),” they wrote.

“Today, at 12 am, I received a message with words and expressions he doesn’t usually use. I scanned it with GPTZero, and it says the message is 100% AI-generated. I feel offended and sad, and I don’t even want to reply to my boyfriend. Should I say something? Or am I overreacting?”

They included a screenshot of the message from their boyfriend, which reads, “I’m truly at a loss for words to express how incredible you are. Your genuine nature shines through in everything you say and do. I love you just the way you are, and I feel so fortunate to have you in my life. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I sincerely wish you all the happiness and success in the world, because you truly deserve it! Happy birthday my [redacted].”

AI birthday text message screenshot.
u/alrakemian via Reddit
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People in the comments offered suggestions on how to respond. Meanwhile, on X, formerly known as Twitter, @AskAubrey reposted the Reddit post, and people shared their experiences and stories of people using ChatGPT as a shortcut.

Reddit response to AI birthday message. Text reads, 'He truly was at a loss for words..'
u/alrakemian via Reddit
Reddit response to AI birthday message. Text reads, 'I understand you being upset OP cause you probs expected something coming from him but sometimes people are just not so good with words that doesn't mean he didn't mean every single word in that message he probably did which is why he chose to send it. Just have an open discussion on how you feel and why he found it difficult to just write something on his own.'
u/Alarming_Kiwi_5399 via Reddit

u/klutzyrogue suggested that if the boyfriend couldn’t be bothered to write his own message, OP should send back a ChatGPT-generated response as well.

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They offered this suggestion: “Wow, your words mean the world to me. I’m honestly speechless—thank you for making me feel so special and appreciated. Having you in my life is such a gift, and I’m so grateful for all the love and kindness you’ve shown. You’re one of the most amazing people I know, and I feel lucky to share this journey with you. Here’s to many more memories and celebrations together. Happy to have you by my side.”

Tweet response to AI birthday message. Text reads, 'Seems like he doesn't care about the relationship nearly as much as OP does, if he can't be bothered to write his own message and has to use chatGPT Drivel.'
@ATL_DEM420/X

“I think we all need to be clear about AI with the people in our lives. Otherwise, it can look like a lifesaver to anyone who thinks they’re no good with words. It’s early enough with generative AI that maaaaybe she’s overreacting…unless he already knows how she feels about it,” wrote @justalurkr.

Tweet response to AI birthday message. Text reads, 'That is peak laziness. It's so dumb too. Everyone would rather have something heartfelt and genuine, even if it's not perfect, over AI-generated stuff like this.'
@DeputyVanHalen4/X
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@8trackmynd said, “I love writing personal message for my wife. Many men just have no idea how to share written feelings. If he picked a card saying how he really felt & signed ‘I love you so much’ she prob would be thrilled. This was MORE personal than that. He typed the prompts from his heart.”

Tweet response to AI birthday message. Text reads, 'This is a joke, right? Using AI to create a message for your significant other is just insulting. I would rather have the card that just said I love you so much to AI generated generic babble.'
@preachysnow/X
Reddit response to AI birthday message. Text reads, 'Just reply 'thanks chatGPT' and leave it at that'
@preachysnow/X
Reddit response to AI birthday message. Text reads, 'Is it any different from buying a card with a message that someone else wrote?'
@preachysnow/X
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Reddit response to AI birthday message. Text reads, 'No because when you purchase a card with writing on it, it is understood that you didn’t create the message. Not the same as using AI and then sending the text message pretending that you came up with the kind words yourself. The lie is what sets it apart. And a card often comes with a gift and typically a kind handwritten message along with a signature and it is decorated so that the receiver can display the card or save it somewhere. So I don’t believe the comparisons are the same.'
u/IntelligentBreey via Reddit

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