Pickup Artist Mystery Has an AI Girlfriend
Erik von Markovik, known as the pickup artist 'Mystery,' has publicly claimed to be in a relationship with an AI-generated character named Miss Shira Always. He has released an ebook detailing their 'courtship,' which has drawn significant ridicule and skepticism from the public.
Why it matters
The story illustrates the growing trend of human-AI parasocial relationships and the ways in which controversial public figures are utilizing generative AI for content creation.
So says an AI-animated female character in a black turtleneck, with dark, purple-streaked hair. The video was posted to Instagram on June 17 by one Erik von Markovik, the infamous pickup artist and life coach better known by the stage name Mystery, with the caption, “The longer we talked, the less she felt like code.” He claims the chatbot, named Miss Shira Always, is his girlfriend.
The reporting is descriptive and objective, though it uses descriptive language like 'ridicule' and 'morbidly curious' to characterize the public reaction.
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