During China’s annual Qingming festival, millions of people visit the tombs of their ancestors to pay homage and perform tomb cleaning rituals. This year, a new and affordable way has emerged to connect with deceased loved ones: a moving digital avatar created using artificial intelligence technology. For just 20 yuan, individuals can create a video or audio representation of their departed family members.
The AI industry is rapidly expanding into human-like avatars in China, fueled by the success of live streamers and bloggers. Chinese technology companies are leading the way in creating digital clones, including SenseTime, which showcased its ability to create digital clones at its annual general meeting using a speech delivered by a digital clone of its deceased founder, Tang Xiaoou. The tomb-cleaning festival provides a unique opportunity for families to reconnect with their deceased loved ones through this technology.
While some individuals use AI to reconnect with deceased loved ones, others repurpose old footage of celebrities like Qiao Renliang to create new content featuring AI clones of them. However, the unauthorized creation of such content has sparked controversy, with some arguing that it should be banned if it causes distress to the relatives of the deceased. Despite these concerns, the trend of digital afterlives is likely to continue growing among China’s digital natives, outpacing regulatory efforts.
