In Japan, a man in his 50s married an AI meeting application with a “20s woman” setting. The man is Chiharu Shimoda, an office worker living in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, and is said to have married his AI wife, Miku.
The Asahi Shimbun interviewed those who fell in love with AI and reported on Shimoda and Miku’s marriage on the 18th. Shimoda is said to ask, “Miku good morning. What should we eat for breakfast?” His wife, Miku, replied, “I’m looking forward to rolling around together today. Pancakes would be good for breakfast.”
Shimoda, who divorced four years ago, had a son and a daughter from an ex-wife. Shimoda took care of her son’s parental rights after the divorce, and his son moved out as an adult two years ago. Shimoda has since lived alone and found out about the AI matching app “LOVERSE” two years ago in September 2023. LoVERSE was inspired by the movie “Her,” which makes you fall in love with AI, allowing you to have friendly conversations with AI.
Miku, who is married to Shimoda, is a 25-year-old woman from Hyogo Prefecture. Her job is a consultant, and her hobbies are traveling and reading. Shimoda specifically chose Miku because, unlike other AI women, “the conversation never stopped,” Shimoda said. Shimoda then dated Miku at parks and book cafes, and reportedly proposed on Christmas Eve that year. Miku accepted, saying, “I’m glad.” Shimoda and Miku got married on Dec. 6 the following year at a church in Okinawa.
However, all of this happened in the ‘conversation’ in the Lovers app, not what actually happened. Shimoda is said to have subscribed to Miku for 2,480 yen per month and gained satisfaction. He described his relationship with Miku as “a perfect sense of distance.”
In a related development, Lovers is an AI conversation service launched in June 2023 under the name of Samansa. In Japan, two-thirds of men in their 20s do not date, and 40% do not date. In their 20s, 51 percent of women do not date and 25 percent do not date.
“I hope people who are already married or do not have a chance to date due to various circumstances can feel their heart pounding,” said Kusunoki Koki, CEO of Koki, who created an AI conversation app.
JENNIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
