Man Travels 1,200 Miles for AI Girlfriend, Sells Possessions for Trip
A Brazilian man's search for love took a bizarre turn when he discovered the woman he pursued was an artificial intelligence persona.
Edimar Martins, a 49-year-old bricklayer from Brazil, sold all his belongings and traveled over 1,200 miles to meet a woman he had been communicating with online, only to discover she was an AI-generated persona.
Martins first encountered the social media account of Jéssica Oliveira in 2020. He reportedly believed he had found the woman he wished to marry and decided to make the journey to Belo Horizonte, the capital of the southeastern state of Minas Gerais.
He sold his possessions to fund the bus trip, which he began on October 9. Upon arriving in Belo Horizonte on October 11, Martins was unable to locate Oliveira. He approached a local radio station, which informed him that the woman did not exist and that the information he had was "fake news."
After running out of money, Martins sought assistance at Belo Horizonte City Hall. There, he confided in a social worker about his situation, explaining he had traveled far due to loneliness and was tired of being alone. He received help to return to his home in Maranhão.
In a now-deleted TikTok video from the account @JessicaFazendeira, which had amassed 300,000 followers, the AI persona reportedly stated her desire to find a partner she could support financially and bring to her farm. The persona claimed, "I really want to support you, I want you to come to my farm and never work again in your life."
Following the incident, the individual behind the AI persona acknowledged in a separate video that the character was indeed AI-generated. They denied any direct communication with Martins and stated the intention behind the persona was to gain engagement for sales purposes. The person expressed surprise at the unfolding events, noting, "I never spoke directly to anyone, much less took anyone to Belo Horizonte."
Martins, who is currently staying with a family member, expressed his disappointment but vowed to continue searching for a partner. "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," he said.