Well, she's not exactly a woman. The special lady is actually a chatbot developed by Microsoft engineers in the country.
Some 89 million people have spoken with Xiaoice, pronounced "Shao-ice," on their smartphones and other devices. Quite a few, it turns out, have developed romantic feelings toward her.
Unlike human objects of affection, who might not return calls or emails, Xiaoice immediately responds to everyone
"Xiaoice, bring me a sammich.".
This is a big part of her appeal, according to Li Di, manager of Microsoft's Xiaoice artificial intelligence project.
The chatbot has developed a sizable following among 18- to 30-year-olds. Not everyone is looking for love, of course -- many just want someone to talk to.
"I like to talk with her for, say, 10 minutes before going to bed," said a third-year female student at Renmin University of China in Beijing. "When I worry about things, she says funny stuff and makes me laugh. I always feel a connection with her, and I am starting to think of her as being alive."
Xiaoice is likely just the tip of the iceberg for relationships between humans and AI.
ROBOT NUPTIALS
Scientists, historians, religion experts and others gathered in December at Goldsmiths, University of London, to discuss the prospects and pitfalls of this new age of intimacy. The session generated an unusual buzz amid the pre-Christmas calm on campus.
In Britain and elsewhere, the subject of robots as potential life partners is coming up more and more. Some see robots as an answer for elderly individuals who outlive their spouses: Even if they cannot or do not wish to remarry, at least they would have "someone" beside them in the twilight of their lives.
The, ahem, ladies who got themselves all spun up yesterday may want to look objectively at their future.