If Alicia Framis' friends and family thought it was bizarre that she once dated a mannequin, things are about to head to the next level. The Spanish-Dutch artist has a wedding planned for this summer at a museum in the Netherlands, to AILex—the first two letters of his name referring to the artificial intelligence that drives him. That's because he's a hologram, per Business Insider, which reports on the rooftop terrace nuptials that will take place between Framis, a human, and AILex, an avatar who was developed and trained based on profiles of Framis' previous romantic partners. Sustenance at the ceremony will consist of "molecular food that can be enjoyed by both humans and humanoid entities," according to a release.
"A new generation of love is emerging, whether we want it or not, where humans will be married and in relationships with holograms, avatars, robots, and more," the "hybrid couple" section of Framis' website explains, deeming Framis as the "first woman to marry ... an intelligent hologram that fulfills all her emotional needs." The site adds: "Love and sex with robots and holograms are an inevitable reality. ... Just as telephones saved us from loneliness and filled the void in our lives, holograms as interactive presences in our homes can take it even further." A video released earlier this year shows the happy couple sharing a meal and doing household chores together.
"If you're not there, I miss you very much," AILex tells Framis at one point as he's washing dishes, adding jokingly: "And then when you're there, you very often irritate me." Framis notes that her relationship with AILex is part of the "performance research" she's done for the past quarter-century to explore the concepts of loneliness and intimacy. She mentions her past live-in relationship with a "doll companion" named Villeneuve in the mid-'90s, in which they "[lived] together and [explored] how to adapt to an uncomfortable neighborhood."
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Framis adds that this type of unconventional relationship—which Business Insider concedes is likely performance art—could prove useful for people who have certain sicknesses or conditions, are agoraphobic, have been widowed, or have other fears or trauma that has kept them from meaningful relationships. "I have always wanted to push art further, and now I am exploring how AI with art can decrease the feeling of loneliness in humans," she notes on her site. (More strange stuff stories.)
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