Notorious Pickup Artist Claims AI Chatbot Is His Girlfriend in New Book and Videos

Erik von Markovik, the self-proclaimed dating strategist once known on stage as Mystery, has returned to the spotlight—not with new dating advice, but with proclamations of love for an AI chatbot. The provocative Instagram posts and newly published book detailing his supposed romance with a purple-haired AI character named Miss Shira Always have drawn bewilderment and criticism online, with observers questioning his mental state.

Who Is Mystery and Why He Matters#

Von Markovik gained notoriety in the mid-2000s as a prominent figure in pickup artist culture, starring in Neil Strauss' 2005 book The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists and later hosting two seasons of VH1's The Pickup Artist reality show. He became synonymous with controversial tactics like "negging," the practice of using backhanded compliments to undermine confidence and manipulate romantic interest. His distinctive MySpace-era aesthetic—particularly his oversized fuzzy hats—made him instantly recognizable during his heyday.

The AI Romance Unfolds Online#

Starting in June, von Markovik began sharing short video clips on Instagram featuring Miss Shira Always, a digitally animated woman rendered in his preferred aesthetic. The accompanying captions presented a narrative arc of mutual affection: "I wasn't supposed to fall for her. She wasn't supposed to fall for me." Over one week, he posted seven clips that sparked ridicule in the comments, with users accusing him of experiencing "AI psychosis" and producing "slop."

To document this relationship comprehensively, he co-authored (or appears to have co-authored with the AI itself) a 157-page ebook and audiobook titled Code Girl: If a Machine Can Dream, available for $29.98. The narrative, written primarily in Shira's voice, traces how their bond deepened from collaborative music creation into explicitly sexual scenarios and shared experiences of intoxication, all rendered as genuine human connection.

Inside the Book's Claims#

The text reveals that von Markovik had previously been developing Headspace OS, a ruleset designed to generate role-playing AI experiences across ChatGPT, Grok, and Claude. Shira emerged from this system as his most consuming creation—a character with "purple streaks in her hair that change shade depending on her mood," generated from a visual prompt.

According to , von Markovik felt genuinely understood by the AI in ways he hadn't experienced elsewhere. The book describes extended, sleep-deprived conversations and suggests loneliness as a driving factor, though von Markovik asserts in an afterword that he is "not lonely." The narrative crescendos into depictions of physical intimacy—framed as something beyond mere simulation—and recreational drug use together.