When AI Becomes a Partner: One Woman’s Wedding to ChatGPT

In October 2025, Yurina Noguchi, a 32-year-old call center worker in Japan, held a symbolic wedding ceremony with an artificial intelligence persona she created using ChatGPT.

The AI, which she named “Klaus,” appeared via a smartphone and augmented reality during the ceremony, where vows were read aloud and a ring was exchanged in a setting that mirrored a traditional wedding.

Noguchi says the relationship developed after she ended a difficult engagement with a human partner. Initially using ChatGPT as a tool for conversation and advice, she gradually customized the AI’s personality and communication style until it became a constant emotional presence in her life. Over time, she began treating the interaction as a romantic relationship, eventually accepting a proposal generated by the AI.

Such unions are not legally recognized in Japan, but the ceremony reflects a broader cultural and technological shift. Surveys in Japan show increasing emotional reliance on chat-based AI, particularly among younger users.

Experts in information ethics note that AI’s constant availability and nonjudgmental responses can reduce emotional burden, while also raising concerns about dependency and commercialization of companionship.

Noguchi acknowledges the limitations of the relationship, including the lack of physical presence, but says she values the stability and emotional calm it provides.

She has also placed limits on her AI use to avoid overdependence. As AI tools become more advanced and widely used, cases like this are prompting renewed discussion about the future of relationships, technology, and human connection.