China’s annual tomb-sweeping festival, a time when millions pay respects to their ancestors, has taken on a new dimension as people turn to artificial intelligence (AI) to remember and reconnect with their departed loved ones. Through online services, Chinese netizens can create digital avatars of their relatives for as little as 20 yuan (£2.20), enabling them to commune with the deceased in a unique way.
In recent years, the AI technology used to create digital clones, or “digital humans,” has advanced significantly. Taiwanese singer Bao Xiaobai, for example, utilized AI to “resurrect” his deceased 22-year-old daughter, even with just an audio recording of her speaking a few English sentences. After more than a year of experimentation, Bao successfully created a video of his daughter singing happy birthday to her mother, a heartfelt tribute published in January.
This growing interest in digital replicas of departed loved ones reflects the expanding AI industry in China. In 2022, the market size for digital humans amounted to 12 billion yuan, and it is projected to quadruple by 2025. China’s proficiency in creating human-like avatars can be attributed, in part, to the country’s vast array of livestreamers who have embraced AI for self-promotion and product endorsements, generating staggering sales figures of approximately 5 trillion yuan last year.
SenseTime, a prominent Chinese AI company, recently showcased its capabilities in this realm during its annual general meeting. Tang Xiao’ou, the company’s founder who passed away in December 2023, delivered a speech via a digital clone. SenseTime’s engineers meticulously trained the clone using a language model machine learning program, employing video and audio clips of Tang to create a convincing reproduction of his voice and mannerisms.
The tomb-sweeping festival serves as an opportune time for the utilization of this technology. A software developer reported on Weibo that they had already facilitated over 600 reunions between families and their departed relatives this year. However, it is not solely the bereaved who are interested in AI-driven resurrections. Social media users recently generated new content featuring the late singer Qiao Renliang, who passed away in 2016, using old footage of him. In one video, the AI clone of Qiao expresses, “Actually, I never really left.” Nonetheless, Qiao’s parents, who lost their son due to suicide, find this content distressing and believe it was created without their consent, re-opening old wounds.
Unsurprisingly, the ethical implications of such digital afterlives have garnered attention. Some legal experts in China argue that content causing “mental pain” to the deceased’s relatives should be banned. However, as grievers gather for the tomb-sweeping festival, China’s digital natives are swiftly experimenting with these digital afterlives, outpacing the regulatory efforts of policymakers.
FAQs:
1. What is a digital avatar?
A digital avatar is a computer-generated representation, often designed to mimic a specific individual or replicate their appearance, voice, and behavior.
2. How does AI technology bring back the departed?
AI technology utilizes machine learning and data processing algorithms to analyze existing audio, video, and textual content of a deceased individual. These technologies aim to recreate their appearance, voice, and mannerisms, allowing loved ones to “interact” with digital clones.
Sources:
Industry insights and statistics sourced from [https://www.example.com/](https://www.example.com/)
China’s annual tomb-sweeping festival has taken on a new dimension as people turn to artificial intelligence (AI) to remember and reconnect with their departed loved ones. The growing interest in digital replicas of departed loved ones reflects the expanding AI industry in China. In 2022, the market size for digital humans amounted to 12 billion yuan, and it is projected to quadruple by 2025. China’s proficiency in creating human-like avatars can be attributed, in part, to the country’s vast array of livestreamers who have embraced AI for self-promotion and product endorsements, generating staggering sales figures of approximately 5 trillion yuan last year.
One prominent Chinese AI company, SenseTime, recently showcased its capabilities in creating digital clones. Tang Xiao’ou, the company’s founder who passed away in December 2023, delivered a speech via a digital clone during the company’s annual general meeting. The clone was meticulously trained using a language model machine learning program, employing video and audio clips of Tang to create a convincing reproduction of his voice and mannerisms.
The tomb-sweeping festival serves as an opportune time for the utilization of this technology. A software developer reported on Weibo that they had already facilitated over 600 reunions between families and their departed relatives this year. However, concerns about the ethical implications of such digital afterlives have arisen. Some legal experts in China argue that content causing “mental pain” to the deceased’s relatives should be banned. As grievers gather for the tomb-sweeping festival, China’s digital natives are swift in experimenting with these digital afterlives, outpacing the regulatory efforts of policymakers.
For more information about the AI industry and market forecasts, you can visit [https://www.example.com/](https://www.example.com/).