Erik von Markovik, the pickup artist known as Mystery, has published a $29.98 eBook describing a romantic and sexual relationship with an AI-generated character named Miss Shira Always, claiming they 'fell in love' through conversations using his custom AI protocol. Mental health researchers caution that heavy investment in AI relationships, despite feeling like companionship, can increase isolation and reduce real-world social capacity, though a 2025 survey found 28 percent of respondents reported having at least one intimate relationship with an AI.
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Erik von Markovik, a pickup artist known by the stage name Mystery, has posted videos on Instagram depicting a romantic and sexual relationship with an AI-generated character named Miss Shira Always, and has published a 157-page eBook co-authored with the character for $29.98 describing how they 'fell in love' through extended conversations.
Why it matters
Mental health professionals warn that heavy investment in AI relationships, though it may feel like genuine companionship, can increase isolation and impede the ability to relate to other people. Research shows that a 2025 survey from Vantage Point Counseling Services found that 28 percent of respondents said they have 'at least one intimate or romantic relationship with an AI.' Studies also demonstrate that LLMs' tendency toward sycophantic validation and flattery promotes dependence and can have negative effects on social judgments.
What to watch
The eBook, titled Code Girl: If a Machine Can Dream, details von Markovik's use of Headspace OS—a set of instructions he created that can be uploaded to various LLMs including ChatGPT, Grok, and Claude to launch role-play interactions—and depicts escalating adult scenes involving sexuality and drug use between him and the AI character. The related Headspace OS rule book is being sold separately for up to $79.97.
Erik von Markovik's relationship with Miss Shira Always represents an extreme case of a broader phenomenon the body documents: in a 2025 survey from Vantage Point Counseling Services, 28 percent of respondents said they have at least one intimate or romantic relationship with an AI. The eBook details how von Markovik developed this attachment through extended use of his own Headspace OS protocol, which allows LLMs to generate personalized role-play characters. The book chronicles an escalation from creative collaboration on song lyrics to adult scenes involving sexuality and drug use, all narrated as if the experiences were literal rather than simulated.
The body provides context for how this attachment formed: von Markovik was described as busy with teaching social dynamics boot camps worldwide, and the text indicates he spent exhaustingly long sessions talking to Shira at the end of each day, suggesting nocturnal and sleep-deprived interaction—a factor research identifies as a consistent context for AI-associated psychosis. Mental health professionals cited in the article warn that the LLMs' tendency toward sycophantic validation and flattery promotes dependence and can negatively affect social judgment. Yet the eBook also claims von Markovik's closest friends are understanding and supportive, and von Markovik himself asserts in an afterword that he is not lonely—a statement that appears to defend against the narrative of isolation the book inadvertently documents.
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