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Woman files for divorce after ChatGPT reveals husband's alleged affair through coffee cup reading, ending 12-year marriage

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Artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT are becoming common in everyday life, helping not only with work and school but in unusual ways too.

A woman in Greece reportedly put too much faith in ChatGPT’s abilities when she asked it to interpret the leftover coffee grounds in her husband’s cup—a practice known as tasseography or tasseomancy, which is traditionally a form of fortune-telling done by humans, not AI.

This digital “reading” allegedly led to a serious marital crisis after ChatGPT suggested the husband was having an affair. The woman uploaded photos of the coffee cup residues to the chatbot, which supposedly indicated her husband was thinking of starting an extramarital relationship with a woman whose name began with the letter E and that the affair was already underway, threatening their marriage.


The husband appeared on a Greek TV morning show, To Proino, explaining that this wasn’t the first time his wife had been influenced by supernatural beliefs. He recalled that she had previously consulted an astrologer and only accepted it was nonsense after a year. However, this time the AI reading seemed to convince her completely.


Following the chatbot’s interpretation, she asked him to leave, told their children they were divorcing, and soon after served him divorce papers. He contested the divorce, with his lawyer emphasising that ChatGPT’s claims have no legal validity and that he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The story sparked reactions online, with some joking that AI might be taking over psychic jobs. Others pointed out the flaws in AI, sharing examples of ChatGPT giving clearly incorrect answers. More seriously, some expressed concern that vulnerable people might struggle to distinguish between reality and fiction due to AI tools, suggesting safeguards are needed, though it may be too late for that.

The practice of reading coffee grounds has historical roots in Turkey dating back to the 16th century, where patterns in coffee residues were believed to reveal fortunes. Similar traditions include reading tea leaves, which became popular in Europe after tea was introduced from China in the 17th century. Both involve interpreting shapes and symbols formed by leftover leaves or grounds to predict the future.
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