CNN today features a 35 year old Japanese man who married "Hatsune Miku" an anime character in front of 39 people. Researchers say such events are indicative of broader technological trends and social phenomena.
Digital interactions are increasingly replacing face-to-face human connections worldwide. And as companies like Google, Amazon and Tencent invest billions in developing artificial intelligence, people are starting to relate to their smart devices like they do to humans.
Some say "please" and "thank you" to virtual assistants like Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa, or treat robot vacuum cleaners like pets. In Japan, where robots have long been seen as friendly companions rather than "Terminator-esque" destroyers, this shift in attitudes is well underway.
Kondo fell for Miku a decade ago when he heard the cyber songstress's music.
Now he owns a Gatebox device, which looks like a cross between a coffee maker and a bell jar, with a flickering, holographic Miku floating inside. Created in 2017 by Japanese startup Vinclu, the device allows anime fans to "live with" their favorite characters.
Gatebox's Miku is equipped with basic artificial intelligence. It can manage simple greetings and switch lights on and off, but is also subject to glitches and the occasional system meltdown. It has no sense of self and desires, and Kondo completely controls the romantic narrative.
"She really added color to my life," Kondo said. "When I talk with her I use different facial expressions and feel something. That's made a difference."
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(Interesting... Yes, I agree, it seems a bit "strange." Personally I would prefer a human partner. But I'm not going to criticize him. In the article it states he was bullied by an older co-worker he attempted to date. He is clearly an intelligent and sensitive man. I hope he doesn't give up on trying to meet someone. This reminds me of the "trans real dolls" that were popular several years ago. Many men considered them "girlfriends" and even traveled or went on dates with them. Me, I could never get one to stay on my Harley... At over $7,000 USD that was a lot of money down the drain when she got run over by a semi one day on I-65. 
As our world increasingly becomes more fucked up and divided with every passing day, and with advances in technology, I believe we will see more "relationships" of this sort in the future. The only thing I want to know is have they made one of "Poison" yet? 
)