A 49-year-old Brazilian man sold all his belongings and travelled more than 1,200 miles (1931 km) to meet a woman he believed he would marry, only to discover that she was an AI-generated character. Edimar Martins, a bricklayer from Brazil's northeastern state of Maranhao, told local broadcaster TV Mirante that he first came across a social media account featuring a woman named Jessica Oliveira, also known as Jessica Fazendeira, in 2020.
The account, which reportedly had more than 300,000 followers, featured videos of a woman living an idyllic rural life on a farm. She invited men to move in with her and promised to provide them with a home and financial support. Martins, who was struggling with loneliness following his mother's death, believed the woman could help him start a new life. In a video posted on the account, the character had promised to support him financially and offered him a place to live on her farm.
He eventually decided to travel to meet her, convinced that he had found a potential life partner. On October 9, he sold his belongings to fund the journey to Belo Horizonte, the capital of Brazil's southeastern state of Minas Gerais, New York Post reported. After travelling by bus for more than a day, he arrived in the city on October 11.
However, his hopes of meeting the woman were soon shattered. Carrying photographs of her, Martins searched for her and asked people in the city if they recognised her, but nobody could identify her. He eventually approached a local radio station, where he was told that the woman did not exist and that the account was fake. Martins then discovered 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 person behind the social media account later acknowledged that the character was AI-generated and denied having any direct contact with Martins. "I came here to state the obvious: I am made of artificial intelligence. 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.
Having spent his money on the journey, Martins was left stranded in the city and sought help from municipal authorities. Social workers provided him with assistance, including food, access to shower facilities and a bus ticket to leave the city.
Despite the disappointment, Martins has not given up on finding a partner. He is currently staying with a family member and has expressed a desire to return to Belo Horizonte in the hope of meeting someone with whom he can settle down. "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 a report by The Sun, 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.
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