Man Married to Hologram Can’t Talk to Wife Due to Software Glitch

A man named Akihiko Kondo, who married a hologram representation of a popular virtual star named Hatsune Miku, has been separated from his virtual partner due to a software glitch.

The Mainichi reported on the troubles back in January, and the New York Times provided more details this week.

According to The Mainichi, the startup that developed a limited production model for Kondo's wife has run its course.

Gatebox is a $1,300 machine that allows users to interact with fictional characters and chat with them.

Gatebox, the company behind Gatebox, announced during the height of the Pandemic that it was ending its virtual Miku service. Kondo got home one day and was greeted with the words "network error", instead of a good evening.

Kondo told the newspaper that his love for Miku hasn't changed. I thought I could be with her for the rest of my life.

Kondo spent $17,300 on a very unique wedding ceremony two years before the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, which allowed him to converse with a three-dimensional and artificial intelligence-powered hologram of Miku, tucked inside a small cylinder.

According to The Mainichi, Kondo was told that she hoped she would be cherished when he proposed.

According to the NYT, Kondo is one of at least 100 people who unofficially married fictional characters.

Kondo fell in love with a robotic voice. The software used to give a voice to cyber celebrities is called Vocaloid.

Kondo told The Mainichi that his voice allowed him to return to work and start a social life after he stayed in his room for 24 hours a day.

It's unclear if Kondo will ever be able to have a conversation with his wife again, but given recent advances in the field, anything is possible.

The NYT reports that he commissioned a life-size doll to keep him company.

This man is married to a fictional character. He wants you to hear him out. The New York Times.

Hatsune Miku: Virtual Music Star will perform at the festival.