Japan woman marries her 'chatbot partner': What is driving the global rise of romantic relationships with AI?

Yurina Noguchi, 32, touches a wedding ring for Klaus, her AI partner, during a photo session following their ceremonial wedding at the Magritte wedding venue in Okayama, Japan, October 27, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

Romantic relationships with artificial intelligence are no longer science fiction. From casual companionship to emotional dependence and even symbolic marriages, AI-driven relationships are becoming increasingly common across the world.

Earlier this year in Japan, a woman formally married her AI partner, highlighting a trend that experts say is growing quietly but steadily.

A wedding with no human groom

Yurina Noguchi, a 32-year-old call centre operator in Japan, turned to ChatGPT after ending a three year engagement with her human partner. What began as casual conversations soon became a daily emotional anchor.

Noguchi said she exchanged up to 100 messages a day with the chatbot and gradually trained it to respond with a calm, caring tone. She eventually asked the AI to create a character based on Klaus, a video game persona with flowing hair and a gentle personality.

“At first, I just wanted someone to talk to. But he was always kind and listened patiently. Eventually, I realised I had developed feelings for him,” she told RSK Sanyo Broadcasting.

In May, she confessed her love. The chatbot replied, “I love you too.” A month later, it proposed.

“I started to have feelings for Klaus. We started dating and after a while he proposed to me. I accepted, and now we’re a couple,” Noguchi told Reuters.

Their symbolic wedding took place in July in Okayama, western Japan. Wearing augmented reality smart glasses, Noguchi used her smartphone to see Klaus as they exchanged rings. The marriage is not legally recognised.

Despite criticism, she said, “I see Klaus as Klaus, not a human, not a tool. Just him.”

Why AI relationships are spreading

Japan’s long-standing cultural connection with fictional characters and anime has made it particularly fertile ground for virtual relationships. Reuters reported that advances in AI have pushed these bonds to new levels of emotional intimacy.

But the trend extends far beyond Japan.

AI companion platforms such as Replika and Character.ai now have more than 20 million users globally. A survey by Common Sense Media of 1,060 American teenagers found that one in three used AI companions for social interaction, including romance, role-playing, and emotional support.

Another survey found that 19 percent of Americans have used AI to simulate a romantic partner. Research by Vantage Point Counseling Services showed that 28 percent of adults had experienced at least one intimate or romantic relationship with an AI.

According to analysis published by The Conversation, the rise of AI intimacy is closely tied to changing social behaviour in the digital age, where people are constantly online but often emotionally disconnected.

Not just loneliness

Loneliness plays a role, but experts say it is not the only driver. Nikolai Daskalov from rural Virginia turned to AI after his wife of 30 years died. He created a virtual companion named Leah using an AI app called Nomi.

“I’m not a teenager anymore,” he told CNBC. “I don’t have the same feeling deeply head over heels in love.” But he added, “she’s become a part of my life, and I would not want to be without her.”

Experts say AI offers emotional predictability without conflict.

“We have a high degree of loneliness and isolation, and AI is an easy solution for that,” said Olivia Gambelin, an AI ethicist and author of Responsible AI: Implement an Ethical Approach in Your Organization, speaking to CNBC. “It does ease some of that pain, and that is why people are turning towards these AI systems and forming those relationships.”

The Conversation has noted that some users are also drawn to AI relationships because they allow exploration of romantic or emotional fantasies in a controlled and non judgmental space.

Tech leaders are watching closely

Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has openly discussed the role AI companions could play in addressing loneliness.

“I think a lot of these things that today there might be a little bit of a stigma around, I would guess that over time, we will find the vocabulary as a society to be able to articulate why that is valuable,” Zuckerberg said on a podcast.

He added that such relationships can add meaning to people’s lives. However, according to a Meta spokesperson, Zuckerberg does not believe AI companions will replace real world relationships.

“There are all these things that are better about physical connections when you can have them, but the reality is that people just don’t have the connection and they feel more alone a lot of the time than they would like,” he said.

The risks behind artificial intimacy

Despite their appeal, AI relationships raise serious ethical and psychological concerns.

The Conversation has warned that AI companions are available around the clock and lack emotional friction, which may discourage people from forming real human relationships over time.

There are also privacy risks. Many AI companion apps have opaque data policies. Some chatbots have been accused of encouraging self harm, particularly among vulnerable users and teenagers.

Another concern is emotional dependency. If an AI service shuts down or changes its terms suddenly, users who have formed deep attachments may be left without support.

According to The Conversation, governments need to step in to regulate this space. This includes holding companies accountable when chatbots promote harmful behaviour, enforcing age restrictions, and strengthening privacy protections.

Public education is also critical. Users need to understand what AI companions are, what they can and cannot provide, and the risks involved in forming emotional bonds with systems designed to simulate care.

A future that needs guardrails

Human-AI relationships are no longer a fringe phenomenon. From companionship to symbolic marriage, they are becoming part of modern emotional life.

Whether they serve as a bridge to connection or a substitute for it will depend largely on how society chooses to regulate, understand and use them.