A 49-year-old Brazilian bricklayer, Edimar Rocha Martins, has reportedly sold all his belongings and travelled more than 1,200 miles to meet a woman he believed was his girlfriend, only to discover that she was an artificial intelligence-generated character.
Martins reportedly became interested in the woman, identified as Jéssica Oliveira, also known as Jessica Fazendeira, after coming across her social media account in 2020.
Believing the online personality was a real woman with whom he could build a relationship, Martins travelled from Imperatriz, in Maranhão State, to Belo Horizonte, in Minas Gerais, hoping to meet her in person.
According to his account, he sold his possessions on October 9 to raise money for the bus journey.
“I sold all my things, I got rid of everything,” he said.
However, after arriving in Belo Horizonte on October 11, Martins began searching for the woman, only to receive a devastating response when he visited a radio station seeking information about her.
“I went to the radio station there, and they said no, that’s fake news, that woman doesn’t exist,” he said.
With his money exhausted and his plans shattered, Martins reportedly sought assistance from social workers at Belo Horizonte City Hall.
He explained that loneliness had motivated his decision to travel, hoping to find companionship and a lasting relationship.
“It only brings sadness, discouragement, depression. Many people wanted to find a relationship, so I came,” he said.
The TikTok account associated with the woman reportedly had approximately 300,000 followers and featured an AI-generated character who claimed she wanted a man to move to her farm and suggested she would provide financial support.
The individual behind the account later acknowledged that the character was artificially generated, while denying having communicated directly with Martins or inviting him to Belo Horizonte.
“I came here to state the obvious: I am made of artificial intelligence,” the person said, adding, “I never spoke directly to anyone, much less took anyone to Belo Horizonte.”
The incident highlights the risks associated with online relationships involving artificial intelligence, particularly when digitally created personalities are mistaken for real people. It also underscores how loneliness and the desire for companionship can leave individuals vulnerable to unrealistic online promises.
Martins is reportedly now staying with a family member but has expressed his determination to return to Belo Horizonte in search of a genuine relationship.
His experience serves as a reminder to verify the identity of online romantic interests before making major financial decisions, travelling long distances or giving up personal belongings in pursuit of a relationship.
