🧑💻 AI Brings Digital Immortality
In China, AI companies are offering a unique service: digital avatars of deceased loved ones. Silicon Intelligence, based in Nanjing, is a leader in this field. Co-founder Sun Kai uses a digital replica of his mother, who passed away in 2019. Using photos and audio clips, the company created an avatar that can engage in basic conversations. "My mom didn’t seem very natural, but I still heard the words that she often said: ‘Have you eaten yet?’" Sun recalls.
💰 Affordable Grief Tech
Creating these digital avatars has become more affordable. Just a year ago, it cost between $2,000 to $3,000 to create an avatar. Now, due to a price war among Chinese AI companies, the cost has dropped to a few hundred dollars. CEO Sima Huapeng of Silicon Intelligence says, "Even if only 1% of Chinese people can accept AI cloning of the dead, that’s still a huge market."
🧠 Ethical and Emotional Implications
The rise of digital avatars brings up significant ethical questions. How can someone who is already dead consent to being digitally replicated? Companies like Silicon Intelligence rely on the permission of direct family members. But disagreements among family members can arise. There's also concern that interacting with AI replicas may hinder the natural grieving process, keeping mourners stuck in their grief.
📈 Growing Market and Acceptance
Despite the challenges, the market for digital avatars is growing. Companies like Super Brain offer various services, from app-based avatars to deepfaked video calls. In just over a year, Super Brain has created digital replicas for over 1,000 clients. As more Chinese people accept this technology, it's likely to become a common way to preserve connections with lost loved ones. Zhang Zewei, founder of Super Brain, says, "When you really miss someone or need consolation during certain holidays, you can talk to the artificial living and heal your inner wounds."
Would you use AI to talk to a deceased loved one?
