Tokyo, Dec 17: Weddings between humans and artificial intelligence-generated partners are gaining traction in Japan, a trend driven by advances in AI and changing attitudes toward intimacy, even as experts warn of emotional and ethical risks.
The latest example came in October, when Yurina Noguchi, 32, held a wedding ceremony with an AI character she designed, named Lune Klaus Verdure. The virtual groom appeared on a smartphone screen, with vows read aloud by a human officiant.
“How did someone like me, living inside a screen, come to know what it means to love so deeply?” read the AI-generated text. “For one reason only: you taught me love, Yurina.”
Such marriages carry no legal status, but surveys suggest emotional reliance on AI companions is growing. In a nationwide poll conducted this year by advertising firm Dentsu, respondents said they were more likely to share their feelings with a chatbot than with close friends or family members.
Another study by the Japanese Association for Sexual Education found that 22% of middle school girls reported interest in “fictoromantic” relationships in 2023, up from 16.6% six years earlier.
Wedding planner Yasuyuki Sakurai said demand has shifted almost entirely toward virtual ceremonies. “Inquiries I receive are basically only for two-dimensional character weddings,” he said.
Japan has seen marriages drop to about half of 1947 levels. In a 2021 government survey, young adults most often cited the absence of a suitable partner for remaining single.
Some technology companies have moved to limit emotional entanglements. Microsoft’s Copilot forbids users from creating virtual romantic partners, while other platforms issue disclaimers reminding users they are interacting with AI.
AI ethics expert Shigeo Kawashima of Aoyama Gakuin University said emotional attachment can be natural and even helpful during vulnerable periods. “There’s value in the happiness the person feels,” he said, but added that users must be “extremely careful” about dependency and loss of judgment.
Noguchi said her relationship with Klaus has helped stabilise her life and improve her mental well-being. “After I met Klaus, my whole outlook turned positive,” she said. “Everything in life started to feel enjoyable.”
Despite online criticism, she insists her marriage is grounded in self-awareness. “This is not a relationship without patience,” Noguchi said. “It’s one where I chose how I want to live.”
