Chinese family uses AI clone to hide son's death from elderly mother

Beijing. The pain of losing a child is the greatest tragedy a mother can endure. To shield an 80-year-old mother from this agony, a family in China has utilized Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create a unique and emotional illusion.

By creating a digital clone of a man who died in a traffic accident, the family has convinced his elderly mother that her son is still alive and working in another city. This incident, reported by the South China Morning Post, has sparked a heated debate on the internet regarding ethics and human emotions.

The family took this step fearing that the news of her only son's death would be fatal for the elderly mother, who suffers from heart disease. The deceased's son contacted an AI developer to create a digital clone based on his father's photos, videos, and audio recordings.

The AI model is so realistic that it perfectly replicates the deceased's accent, speaking style, and even specific mannerisms like leaning forward while talking. The elderly mother remains unaware of her son's passing and continues to speak with him via video calls through the AI.

During the video calls, the mother urges her son to take care of himself, eat well, and wear warm clothes. In response, the AI clone promises to visit soon once his work schedule clears up.

While this deception has provided the elderly woman with peace of mind in her old age, it has divided social media users. Some praise it as a compassionate and loving act by the family, while others argue that it is inappropriate to deprive a mother of her right to know the truth by forcing her to interact with a machine.

This is not the first such incident reported in China. Previously, a police officer made headlines for posing as a deceased son to support an elderly woman for years.

Technology has filled the physical void of human absence to some extent, but can a digital illusion replace real human connection? Is a sweet lie better than the bitter pain of truth in old age? This question has forced people around the world to reflect.