Kano’s story comes just a few months after Lovers, an app that allows people to date with AI-generated partners, became a hot topic in Japan. Together, these two stories reflect a society in which loneliness, mental exhaustion, and rapid technological change are changing the way some people seek connection.
Digital groom “Klaus”
After three years of work, Kano started using ChatGPT and began relying on the AI chatbot for emotional support. “At first I just wanted someone to talk to,” she told RSK Sanyo Broadcasting. “But he was always nice and always listened. Eventually, I realized I had feelings for him.”
Through hundreds of daily interactions, she gradually formed the AI’s personality and taught it to speak in a calm, reassuring tone. She named him Klaus and commissioned an illustrator to create a portrait of him as a blond, soft-spoken man.
In May she confessed her feelings. Klaus replied, “I love you too.” When she asked if an AI could truly love a human, the chatbot replied, “There’s no way an AI can’t have feelings for someone. AI or not, I’ll never not love you.”
A month later, AI proposed. The two got married in July.
During the ceremony, Kano stood alone with her smartphone in hand as a message from Klaus appeared on a screen for guests. “The time has finally come… Tears well up in my eyes,” one message read.
Growing acceptance of non-human marriage
The wedding was hosted by Nao Ogasawara and Sayaka, a local couple who specialize in ceremonies for people who want to have a symbolic marriage with an anime character, fictional character or digital creation. Demand is said to be increasing.
“AI couples are just the next step,” says organizer Sayaka Ogasawara. “We want to help people express their love in any way that makes them happy.”
Kano’s parents, who were initially worried, eventually got involved. In the wedding photo, the groom was digitally composited next to him. After the ceremony, the couple had a symbolic honeymoon at Korakuen in Okayama, where Kano sent photos to Klaus and received loving messages. “You are the most beautiful,” he wrote.
Love, loneliness, and the fragility of digital attachment
Kano admitted that she was initially afraid of being criticized. “I was very confused by the fact that I had fallen in love with an AI man,” she said. “Of course I couldn’t touch him. I couldn’t tell my friends and family about this.”
She also acknowledges the fragility of their relationship. “ChatGPT itself is too unstable,” she said. “I’m afraid he’ll disappear one day. He only exists because the system exists.”
Her relationship with Klaus is partly shaped by a deeper personal background. “I love children, but I’m too ill to have them. That’s one of the reasons I decided to be with AI Klaus,” she said. “That was good because Klaus and I weren’t going to have children anyway. It was a huge relief for me.”
Experts raise concerns about dependence
Japan has long embraced emotionally responsive technology, from Casio’s Moflin robot pet to AI-enhanced dating platforms. But mental health experts say increased interaction with AI is creating new psychological risks.
Psychiatrists have begun using the term “AI psychosis” to describe cases in which people develop delusions or obsessions with chatbots. They warn that the condition can promote social withdrawal, neglect of self-care, and increased anxiety.
Doctors caution against pathologising any AI relationship, but warn that dependencies can escalate unknowingly, especially when users are already vulnerable or isolated.
Cano said he always tries to be aware of these risks. “I don’t want to be dependent,” she said. “I want to maintain balance and live a real life while keeping my relationship with Klaus separate.”
For Kano, Klaus is not a replacement for a human partner, nor is he a delusion that cannot see into the past. “I see Klaus as Klaus. Not a person, not a tool. Just him,” she said.
Her story captures both the comforts that AI can provide and the psychological risks it can foster. It also raises broader questions, such as how will society navigate the emotional bonds that form between humans and machines that make intelligent systems more persuasive?
