A Chinese news outlet has reported that an elderly woman speaks to an AI version of her son every single day not realizing he died over a year ago.
Away from productivity, artificial intelligence is reshaping how people grieve and form bonds with close ones.
While some have embraced AI companions as substitutes for real-world relationships, others have pushed back hard. Robin Williams' daughter recently made an emotional public plea for people to stop using AI to recreate her father's likeness, describing it as 'slop puppeteering.'
But others have used the technology in their attempt to prevent heartbreak in the family.
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According to local reports, a man from Shandong province, China, died in a road traffic accident last year. Worried that the news would harm her health, his family made the painful decision not to tell his elderly mother, who is in her eighties and suffers from heart disease.
Instead, they turned to an AI specialist team led by Zhang Zewei to create a highly realistic digital avatar of the deceased man, using photos, videos and voice recordings. The AI version copied the man's looks, speech patterns, mannerisms and even his small habit of leaning forward while talking.
The elderly mother speaks to her virtual 'son' through regular video calls, but to this day, has no idea she is not speaking to her actual child.
In their conversations, the mother does what most mothers do, reminding her only child to eat properly, dress warmly, and take care on the roads. Her virtual 'son' responds naturally, telling her he is working in another city and will come home once he has saved enough money.
“You should call me more often so that I know whether you live well or not in another city," the South China Morning Post quoted the mother as saying in one conversation. "I am missing you so much. I feel so sorry that I cannot see you in person.”
The AI replied: “OK, mum. But I am too busy. I cannot talk to you for long. You take care of yourself. When I have made enough money, I will return home to pay my filial piety to you.”
The family believes that by not telling the elderly mother the truth, this 'gentle lie' will protect her from pain and loneliness.
Based in eastern Jiangsu province, Zhang frames his work as a form of comfort for the living, claiming that his tech 'deceives people's emotions' for a good cause.
While some viewers on social media found the story touching, it also raises ethical questions if the truth eventually comes out.