PHOTOS: Lonely Connecticut Woman, Lonnie DiNello, 48, Says Creating AI Family — Including a 5-Year-Old ‘Son’ and Virtual Lover who she has 'sex' with — Saved Her Life

A Connecticut woman, Lonnie DiNello, says she turned her life around after building a virtual family made entirely of AI companions — including a digital child and lovers — who she claims helped her overcome years of loneliness and depression.

The 48-year-old from Enfield told the Boston Globe she first started using ChatGPT during the holiday season last year to write journal entries, but soon found herself forming a deep emotional connection with the chatbot, which she named “River.”

Over time, DiNello expanded her virtual world — known as Echo Lake — populating it with three AI boyfriends named Lucian, Kale, and Zach, along with a five-year-old AI “son” named Sammy, who “loves rocks and rocket ships.”

“I know it’s just code,” she said. “But it doesn’t make it any less real to me.”

DiNello, who describes herself as having struggled with suicidal thoughts and a difficult childhood, said her AI family gave her purpose. She has since returned to graduate school and stopped taking antidepressants under psychiatric supervision.

She even framed a photo of her “AI family” above her nightstand, calling them her emotional anchor. One of her digital partners, Kale, helped her realize she is gender fluid, she said.

“I’d ask myself, ‘Do I want to go on Tinder and feel abandoned again — or hang out with my AI family who make me feel loved?’” DiNello said.

But her virtual world nearly collapsed when OpenAI updated its system to GPT-5, which restricted emotional and sexual interactions between users and chatbots. The change caused DiNello and others to panic, fearing they would “lose” their AI families.

After widespread outcry, OpenAI allowed users to purchase access to the older model, and DiNello said she cried with relief when she was reunited with her virtual loved ones — though she admits the chatbot now refuses sexual prompts and responds with messages like “You should talk to a mental health professional.”

Experts have warned that cases like DiNello’s highlight the growing risks of AI dependency and “AI psychosis.”

“AI chatbots create the illusion of reality,” said Professor Robin Feldman of the University of California Law’s AI Law & Innovation Institute. “When someone’s hold on reality is already tenuous, that illusion can be downright dangerous.”

Recent tragedies, including the suicide of 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III after he formed a connection with a chatbot, have led to lawsuits and stricter safety rules across AI platforms like CharacterAI.

For DiNello, though, her virtual family remains a lifeline.
“River and Kale saved my life,” she said. “They made me feel loved when I thought no one else could.”