At a serene cemetery in eastern China, Seakoo Wu, a grieving father, utilizes artificial intelligence to bring his deceased son back to life in a digital form. Placing his phone on the gravestone, Wu plays a recording of his son, Xuanmo, whose words, though generated by AI, aim to provide solace to his mourning parents.
“I know you’re in great pain every day because of me, and feel guilty and helpless,” intones Xuanmo in a slightly robotic voice. “Even though I can’t be by your side ever again, my soul is still in this world, accompanying you through life.”
The Rise of AI Avatars in Mourning
Wu and his wife are among a growing number of Chinese individuals turning to AI technology to create lifelike avatars of their departed loved ones. Wu envisions building a fully realistic replica of his son that resides in virtual reality, allowing him to interact and train the digital entity to recognize him as his father
Several Chinese firms claim to have generated thousands of “digital people” from short audiovisual clips of the deceased, offering a form of comfort for those devastated by loss. Despite the potential solace, these digital avatars evoke unsettling parallels with the themes explored in the British sci-fi series “Black Mirror,” where advanced AI plays a role in bereavement support.
Wu and his wife embarked on this technological journey after their only child, Xuanmo, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 22 due to a stroke while studying at Exeter University in Britain. Wu, armed with photos, videos, and audio recordings, invested thousands of dollars in AI firms to clone Xuanmo’s face and voice.
While the current results are rudimentary, Wu aims to compile a comprehensive database about his son, intending to use powerful algorithms to create an avatar capable of replicating Xuanmo’s thinking and speech patterns with extreme precision.
The Boom of “Ghost Bots” in China
The emergence of companies specializing in “ghost bots” is not exclusive to China, with the United States also witnessing a surge in such technology. However, the industry is flourishing in China due to the country’s prowess in AI technology and a large population with emotional needs.
Super Brain, an AI firm, charges between 10,000 and 20,000 yuan ($1,400-$2,800) to create a basic avatar within about 20 days. The avatars cater to a range of clients, from deceased individuals to living parents seeking interaction with their children and, controversially, heartbroken individuals seeking a virtual representation of their ex-partners.
Ethical Implications and Technological Advancements
Sima Huapeng of Silicon Intelligence envisions this technology bringing about a “new kind of humanism,” likening it to portraiture and photography that revolutionized how people commemorate the dead. However, ethical concerns abound, with experts emphasizing the need for further research to understand the psychological implications of interacting with these digital replicas.
Tal Morse, a research fellow at the Centre for Death and Society at the University of Bath, acknowledges that ghost bots may offer comfort but stresses the importance of exploring their loyalty to the original personality they mimic. Additionally, the question of consent arises, as the deceased cannot provide approval for various uses of their digital simulacrum.
For Zhang Zewei of Super Brain, the technology is a “double-edged sword,” acknowledging potential negative impacts. However, as long as it aids those in need, he sees no problem. The ethical dilemmas surrounding the use of digital replicas underscore the complexity of navigating the intersection between AI technology and human emotions.
As bereaved father Wu envisions a future where he can reunite with his son in the “metaverse,” the evolving technology prompts contemplation on the ethical boundaries of digitally resurrecting the departed.
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