Technology and AI are advancing fast, becoming more indulged in daily life every day. One of these developments is AI being able to have hyper-realistic conversations with people. Users are able to chat with AI, and it´ll remember the details you told it before. You can even create characters using AI platforms that you can talk to, with their own customizable personalities to your liking. In Okayama, Japan, a 32-year-old woman known as Kano, took advantage of this feature and created herself a character who would soon become her partner for life.
Kano was engaged for 3 years, but then she ended the relationship and began to use AI to vent her emotions. It started off as a harmless way for her to let her feelings out; however, as time went on, she began to realize something for herself.
¨At first, I just wanted someone to talk to,¨ said Kano in an interview with RSK Sanyo Broadcasting. ¨But he was always kind, always listening. Eventually I realized I had feelings for him.¨
The character she made was named Lune Klaus, and she programmed him to be reassuring and speak in a warm tone. She’s even commissioned an artist to capture his features, a blonde, soft-spoken man who lives on the screen.
Kano and her character messaged nearly over 100 times a day, and in June, Klaus proposed to Kano. They got married the following month, and Kano was holding her phone the entire time.
Cynthia Liew, a sophomore here at ERHS, shares, ¨ People getting so emotionally invested in AI is honestly insane, especially to the point where you’re legitimately marrying a robot.¨ Said Liew.
Although Kano is happy with her decision, her reality is still quite complicated. She struggled a bit with the idea of having a non-human partner for life, and she felt like people would never understand her perspective. However, Japan is starting to notice a similar trend regarding weddings with 2D or anime characters. Rather than reacting with reluctance, they weren´t bothered by the requests at all.
¨We want to help people express love in whatever form makes them happy.¨ Said Sayaka Ogasawara, a ceremony organizer in Japan.
