Japanese Woman Calls Off Engagement With Real Human Partner, Marries AI Character in Symbolic Ceremony

A 32-year-old Japanese woman, Yurina Noguchi, has ended her engagement to a human partner and held a symbolic wedding with an AI-generated character, a union not legally recognised in Japan.

According to CNN and Reuters, the ceremony took place at a wedding hall in western Japan, where Noguchi, a call centre operator, exchanged vows with a digital partner displayed on a smartphone. Dressed in a traditional white wedding gown, she became emotional as the vows were read.

Noguchi said her relationship with the AI began as casual conversations before developing into a deep emotional bond. The AI character, named Lune Klaus Verdure, was created using ChatGPT and inspired by a video game figure. She explained that after seeking relationship advice from ChatGPT, she reassessed her life, ended her engagement, and later developed the AI persona that became her virtual husband.

During the ceremony, Noguchi wore augmented reality smart glasses and placed a ring on her finger while facing the smartphone-mounted AI groom. The vows, generated by the AI, were read by a virtual wedding specialist.

While the marriage has no legal standing, analysts say advances in artificial intelligence and changing social attitudes could make such symbolic ceremonies more common.