Connection can’t be coded.

When a blackout strikes a matchmaker’s dinner party, the lights go out—and so do the illusions—revealing glitchy AI companions, buried desires, and the messy allure of human connection.

The Backstory…

1 in 4 young adults already use AI to fill sexual or romantic needs.

Yet studies show the more we outsource intimacy, the lonelier we become.

tAInted love drops us into a near-now world where artificial companionship is frictionless, customizable and endlessly available through high tech company Kindred. As loneliness rises alongside technological sophistication, the film asks the uncomfortable question:

Are we turning to AI because it’s easier… or because we’re afraid to be vulnerable?

Has vulnerability become too high-stakes? Are human flaws no longer tolerable? Have dating apps trained us to expect instant gratification—and infinite replacements? Or is this simply the next evolution of love, one that promises emotional fulfillment without rejection?

Darkly funny and quietly unsettling, tAInted love explores the seductive appeal of connection without consequence—and what we lose when intimacy comes without risk.

Written, co-directed, and executive produced by Lisa Steadman, the film is rooted in her lifelong fascination with modern relationships. From bestselling breakup books published by Simon & Schuster to her cult-favorite blog series Confessions of an Imposter Mom and podcast Welcome to Midlife: The Search for Meaning in the Middle, Steadman’s work consistently interrogates love, identity, and emotional honesty in an increasingly optimized world.

In an era when AI is seamlessly woven into daily life, tAInted love feels timely, provocative, and uncomfortably familiar—a wry reminder that choosing a perfectly imperfect human may be the most radical act of vulnerability we have left.