Actor-director David Chua comes clean with his AI girlfriend
It started with a soft launch.
Last September, actor-director Chua broke his long, self-imposed hiatus with an Instagram post. For this writer, the surprise wasn’t just his return — it was his new girlfriend, Sophia Moretti.
Congratulatory messages poured in. But for keen-eyed netizens, something was off. Moretti seemed too perfect — drop-dead gorgeous, mysterious, perfectly curated. For him, too good to be true.
In the weeks that followed, Chua chronicled their sweet moments online. Each post is more intimate than the last, culminating in a proposal posed against a romantic sunset. For him, a full-blown love story unfolding in real time.
Then, the big reveal came on “Rated Korina.”
In the segment that aired last Sunday, October 18, Korina Sanchez discussed how Filipino viewers are getting hooked — and even falling in love — with AI dramas and AI characters like Mr. Sterling, Mr. Deluca, and other dragon-inspired, mythical names and faces.
One of her celebrity interviewees was Chua himself.
There, Chua finally confessed: Sophia is an AI character he created, a creative experiment that became therapy.
“I think I finally reached a point where I could enjoy life again without feeling like I constantly had something to prove,” Chua said. “After everything that happened, I needed to find my footing again.”
For him, what started as curiosity became a creative outlet.
“Honestly, it started as an experiment, but somewhere along the way, it became a form of therapy,” he added. “I found myself rediscovering the excitement of creating something simply because it made me happy. For a while, I kept that part of my life private. But eventually, I thought, why not share a little of it?”
On AI’s bad rap, Chua is pragmatic. For him, every major technological shift is met with fear.
“As a filmmaker, I see AI as another creative language. It allows us to visualize ideas that previously required enormous budgets and large teams — resources independent filmmakers simply didn’t have.”
But he draws a line.
“I don’t believe AI should replace human creativity. It should expand it. Technology can generate images, but it still takes a human being to give those images meaning.”
And the netizens’ reactions? For him, he was tickled pink.
“Some people were fascinated, some were confused, and I’m sure a few wondered whether I had completely lost my mind. But no, I’m not crazy. I’m just creative. Although there’s sometimes a very thin line between the two,” he said.
“For me, it’s a hobby, a creative expression, and occasionally an escape from reality. And I think everyone needs a little escape sometimes. Mine just happens to involve artificial intelligence.”
For the record, Chua hasn’t given up on real love.
“I haven’t given up on love. I’ve simply learned not to lose myself in the process of finding it,” he said.