In Brazil, a man loses everything over a woman created by artificial intelligence

In Brazil, a 49-year-old man sold all his possessions and traveled thousands of kilometers in hopes of meeting a woman he met on the internet. However, upon reaching the destination, he discovered that the woman named Jessica whom he had fallen in love with did not actually exist. As it turned out, her photos and videos were generated using artificial intelligence.

Believed the promise of "living like royalty"

A builder named Edimar Martins met a young, blonde Jessica online. According to him, the woman said she lived alone on a farm in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais and urged the man to come visit her. Jessica convinced him that if they lived together, a "life fit for royalty" awaited him.

Trusting the woman's words, Edimar sold all his property to meet her and set off for the city of Belo Horizonte, about 2,000 kilometers away from his home. He spent 36 hours traveling by bus.

It turned out his beloved woman does not actually exist

Upon arriving in the city, since he did not know Jessica's exact address, the man started showing her photos to people on the street to search for her. Later, he turned to a local radio station. The station employees explained to him that Jessica was not a real person, but a virtual persona created through artificial intelligence.

The person who created the account also stated that they had never spoken to Edimar in person. According to them, the man misunderstood the videos and took the statements in them as a proposal directed at him.

The anonymous creator said the profile was created to increase subscribers and advertise products.

This is not the first such incident

According to Radio Itatiaia, two other men had previously traveled to Belo Horizonte after trusting similar virtual personas.

Following the incident, the city administration covered the cost of a return bus ticket for Edimar to go back home.

This event once again highlights the need to be cautious with online dating. Photos and videos created with artificial intelligence can look just like real people. Therefore, it is important to verify any information on the internet before believing it.