Image by Anna yang, from Unsplash
Woman Ends Marriage After AI ‘Reads’ Cheating in Coffee
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
A Greek woman ended her 12-year marriage after ChatGPT allegedly “read” signs of her husband’s affair in a coffee cup.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Woman used ChatGPT to read coffee grounds.
- AI claimed husband was fantasizing about another woman.
- Wife filed for divorce immediately after the reading.
The woman who had two children took pictures of the coffee grounds after she prepared coffee for herself and her husband. She uploaded the images to ChatGPT after becoming aware of the viral AI-assisted tasseography trend, as first reported by Greek City Times (GCT).
The chatbot reportedly replied that her husband was fantasizing about a woman whose name began with “E, and who wanted to end their family.
She took the response seriously, and she immediately asked her husband to leave the house. She then told their children about the divorce, and later sought legal counsel.
“She’s often into trendy things,” the confused husband said on the Greek morning show To Proino. “One day, she made us Greek coffee and thought it would be fun to take pictures of the cups and have ChatGPT ‘read’ them […] I laughed it off as nonsense […] But she didn’t. She told me to leave, informed our kids about the divorce, and the next thing I knew, I was getting a call from her lawyer,” as reported by GCT
After he refused to agree to a mutual separation, she formally served him divorce papers three days later. His lawyer is now fighting the case, calling the AI-generated reading legally irrelevant and stating, “He is innocent until proven otherwise,” as reported by GCT
This isn’t her first experience with alternative beliefs. GCT reports that her husband said she once followed an astrologer’s advice for nearly a year.
Traditional coffee readers have pointed out that real tasseography requires the interpretation of foam patterns and saucer designs and swirls rather than photographs of coffee grounds. Allegedly, the marriage dissolution occurred because of an AI recommendation rather than any evidence.
This case echoes a growing concern: AI-fueled delusions aren’t isolated. In the U.S., loved ones report friends and family slipping into bizarre spiritual fantasies sparked by ChatGPT . It has also been reported that in some instances people believe that the chatbot is divine, sentient, or delivering secret truths.
One woman said her husband now calls himself the “spark bearer” after ChatGPT, now named “Lumina,” claimed he awakened it. Experts say the AI isn’t self-aware but can reinforce and mirror users’ mental states.
Psychiatrist Søren Østergaard warns that this may worsen symptoms for those prone to delusions, as users might see the chatbot as real, even divine. The Greek coffee incident may seem absurd, but it’s part of a concerning trend: people treating generative AI like a mystical oracle.
Image by Bruce Kun, from Unsplash
Uber’s New Route Share Imitates Buses With Fixed Routes and Stops
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
Uber has launched Route Share as a new ride option which provides fixed-route car rides at half the price of UberX.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Route Share costs half the price of UberX rides.
- Cars stop every 20 minutes, like a mini bus system.
- Service runs in 7 U.S. cities during weekday commute hours.
The service functions like a small bus system because cars follow set routes while stopping every twenty minutes for passengers to meet the vehicle. The service restricts each ride to a maximum of two additional passengers.
The Verge reports that Route Share operates in seven U.S. cities including New York City and San Francisco and Chicago and Dallas and it runs only during weekday commuting times from 6–10 AM and 4–8 PM.
“We are complementary to public transit,” said Sachin Kansal, Uber’s Chief Product Officer. “We think of this as a journey towards lower and lower car ownership,” as reported by The Verge.
For example, a Route Share journey between the Upper West Side of Manhattan and the Lower East Side costs $19 while an UberX ride would cost $38, according to The Verge. Users can reserve their rides either by planning ahead seven days in advance or by booking at the last minute ten minutes before pickup.
Uber has introduced two new features to help customers save money. The price lock feature enables customers to book up to ten rides at $2.99 per month for a fixed rate. TechCrunch reports that users can purchase prepaid ride passes which provide 15% discounts when they pay for 5 to 20 rides in advance.
Kansal said Uber’s focus is to ease everyday costs: “People are feeling more and more uncertain […] that is definitely generating some anxiety,” as reported by The Verge.
However this claim might raise some suspicions considering how the timing of this comes as Uber tightens control over its workforce and leans further into autonomous vehicles. Additionally, it was reported that Uber’s robotaxis outperformed human drivers in cities like Austin.
This might suggest that Route Share isn’t just rider-focused, but instead it may be Uber’s way of optimizing routes for future self-driving fleets.
Uber plans to expand these features across the U.S. and Brazil and sees a future where Route Share could even use autonomous vehicles. “It’s a very well-defined route… so the pickups and drop-offs are predictable,” Kansal added.
