The parents of a young man who passed away from a stroke while studying in England said that being able to “see and talk to” their AI son has helped them overcome their pain. Photo: SCMP
According to the Hangzhou Journal, the use of AI services to “meet” deceased loved ones is becoming increasingly popular in China. People are willing to pay from 5,000 (over 17 million VND) to 10,000 Chinese Yuan (over 34 million VND) for services that recreate the image of the deceased.
Zhang Zewei, the founder of AI Super Brain, said that this technology can create basic models that can imitate the thoughts and speech of the deceased.
Since its establishment in May 2023 in Jiangsu Province, China, his team has helped thousands of families “revive” their deceased loved ones in digital form with just 30 seconds of data input. Over half of AI Super Brain’s customers are elderly parents who have lost their children.
Zhang Zewei said, “There are many people with emotional needs in China, which gives us an advantage in the market.”
As every customer has different needs, the company will provide tailored counseling services.
AI healing involves simulating actions and conversations and creating 3D images through provided voice recordings and videos. Zhang Zewei’s team has successfully provided AI healing services to over 600 families.
“We will ask relatives to provide images, videos, and voice recordings of the deceased. The more data provided, the better the effectiveness of the recreation.
Mr. Wu, one of Zhang’s customers, still feels profound sadness over the death of his 22-year-old son from a stroke while studying in England in 2022. He and his wife found comfort after having a basic recreated image that can mimic their son’s appearance and voice.
Mr. Wu’s AI “son” says, “Goodbye, dear parents. I hope to always accompany you, bringing warmth and love.” And Mr. Wu believes that this is another way for his family to reunite despite the separation between life and death.
The story has attracted attention from the Chinese social media community. Many people are excited and supportive of this new technology, believing that it truly has healing effects for those unfortunate enough to lose loved ones. However, there are also differing opinions: “Does pretending that no one has passed away really make their pain go away?” or “Is this really good? I think people have to try to continue their lives without their deceased loved ones.”
