A 49-year-old Brazilian man sold all his possessions and travelled to over 1,200 miles (1931 km) to meet a woman he thought he would marry, only to find out she was an AI-generated character.
Edimar Martins, a bricklayer from Maranhao in northeastern Brazil, told local broadcaster TV Mirante that he first encountered a social media account in 2020 featuring a woman named Jessica Oliveira, also known as Jessica Fazendeira.
The account, which reportedly had over 300,000 followers, showed videos of a woman enjoying an idyllic rural life on a farm. She invited men to come live with her and pledged to give them a home and financial support.
Martins, who had been struggling with loneliness after his mother’s death, thought the woman could help him begin a new life.
In a video posted on the account, the character had promised to support the Brazilian man financially and offered him a place to live on her farm.
In the end, Brazilian made up his mind to travel and meet her, certain that he had found someone who could be his life partner.
As the New York Post reported, he sold his possessions on October 9 to finance the trip to Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, a state in southeastern Brazil. After more than a day of travelling by bus, he reached the city on October 11.
Yet his hopes of meeting the woman were quickly dashed. Carrying her photographs, Martins went looking for her and asked people around the city whether they recognized her, but no one could identify her.
In the end he went to a local radio station, where he was informed that the woman did not exist and that the account was fake. Martins then found out that the woman he had hoped to marry was an AI-generated persona.
“It only brings sadness, discouragement, and depression. Many people wanted to find a relationship, so I came,” he said.
The individual who runs the social media account later admitted that the character was generated by AI and denied having any direct contact with Martins.
“I came here to state the obvious: I am made of artificial intelligence. I have never spoken to anyone with this profile.
“The intention was to gain engagement for sale. I never spoke directly to anyone, much less took anyone to Belo Horizonte. It was a surprise to me to see what is happening,” the made-up woman said.
After spending all his money on the trip, Martins found himself stranded in the city and turned to municipal authorities for help. Social workers gave him support, including food, access to shower facilities, and a bus ticket to leave the city.
Even with the disappointment, Martins has not abandoned his search for a partner. He is presently staying with a relative and has said he wants to return to Belo Horizonte, hoping to meet someone he can settle down with.
“I didn’t find her, but I’ll find another one, and it will be in the same place I went, and I’ll go again,” Martins said.
According to reports, Martins is the third man in less than six months to travel to Belo Horizonte, hoping to meet a woman who turned out to be an AI-generated character.
