"Come Live With Me on My Farm": Man Sells Everything and Travels 1,930 km, Trusting a Beautiful Woman

Sold Everything to Pursue His Dream of Marriage
She Turned Out to Be an AI-Generated Virtual Person
Account Operator: "I Never Contacted Him"

A man in his 40s in Brazil sold his belongings and traveled more than 1,900 km to marry a woman he had met online, only to discover that she was a virtual character generated by artificial intelligence (AI).

According to the New York Post on October 17 (local time), Edimar Martins, a 49-year-old bricklayer in Brazil, recently sold all his belongings and traveled about 1,930 km to marry a woman he had met online. But even after arriving at his destination, he could not meet her and learned that she was a virtual character generated by AI.

An AI-generated figure known as Jessica Oliveira. New York Post

In an interview with Brazilian broadcaster TV Mirante, Martins said he first came across an account under the name Jessica Oliveira on social media in 2020. He said he never suspected that she was a virtual character generated by AI and decided last week to meet her in person.

On October 9, Martins sold all his belongings to pay for the trip. He planned to travel about 1,930 km by bus from Imperatriz in the northeastern state of Maranhão to Belo Horizonte, the capital of the southeastern state of Minas Gerais.

He Traveled 1,930 km... for a Woman Who Did Not Exist

After arriving in Belo Horizonte on October 11, Martins went looking for the woman but could not find her. He said, "I went to a local radio station, and they told me it was a fake story and that no such woman existed."

After running out of money for the trip, Martins went to Belo Horizonte City Hall. He told a social worker that he could no longer bear the loneliness and had traveled a long way to meet someone he loved. With help from the authorities, he was able to return home.

"All that remains is sadness, disappointment and depression," Martins said. "Many people want to find a romantic partner. That's why I came here, too."

AI Account Operator: "I Never Contacted Him Directly"

The TikTok account of the AI-generated woman, also known as Jessica Fazendeira, reportedly has about 300,000 followers. In videos, she said she was looking for a man to live with her on her farm, saying, "I want to support you. I want you to come to my farm so you never have to work again for the rest of your life." The videos have since been deleted.

 

After the incident sparked controversy, the account operator said in a video on October 14 that the woman was a virtual character generated by AI and that they had never directly contacted Martins.

Martins, who is currently staying at a relative's home, said that despite what happened, he intends to return to Belo Horizonte and meet someone new. "I couldn't meet that woman, but I'll look for someone else," he said. "I'll go back to the same place and meet someone new."

Meanwhile, the city of Belo Horizonte urged people on social media to be cautious about photos, videos and conversations created or manipulated using AI. It emphasized that people should confirm that someone they meet online is a real person before trusting them.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.