A few days ago, I was on the phone with a friend, discussing our love lives while painting our nails. She went on a rant about this new guy, who’s sweet, kind, and thoughtful. But during the date, he let it slip how he used the help of an AI chatbot to frame a couple of answers while texting. “Yaar, instant ick I tell you,” she sounded exasperated. When I asked, “but you also talk to AI sometimes? she replied, “Yeah, but that’s different. I don’t use AI to write my texts for me, na!” The guy was sweet, so I suggested she stop being so picky and say yes to a second date. But when I hung up later that night, it got me thinking: Are we really so quick to write off people? Is that why dating feels so hard nowadays? For those unaware, an “ick” is a sudden feeling of repulsion toward someone you were previously attracted to, triggered by something small, and often irrational. Not a red flag. Not a dealbreaker rooted in values.…