Grieving Chinese family uses artificial intelligence to ‘resurrect’ dead son

About the family: Wu Seakoo and his wife lost their only child, Xuanmo, to a sudden stroke last year. Xuanmo was an international student at Exeter University in England.

On Nov. 7, the grief-stricken parents visited their son’s grave in Zhejiang province. Wu played a recording of Xuanmo created using AI technology, giving him and his wife a sense of comfort.

How they did it: Wu told AFP that the idea to “resurrect” his son came to him in a dream. He then worked with several AI firms, shelling out thousands of dollars so they could recreate a digital version of Xuanmo that possessed his face and voice.

“Once we synchronize reality and the metaverse, I’ll have my son with me again,” Wu told the outlet. “I can train him…so that when he sees me, he knows I’m his father.”

The cost of “resurrection”: Among the firms Wu had worked with was Super Brain, which charges clients between 10,000 and 20,000 yuan ($1,400 to $2,800) for a basic avatar that takes 20 days to finish. Besides immortalizing the dearly departed through AI, Super Brain offers services to parents who can not see their loved ones or heartbroken individuals longing for their ex-partner.

Super Brain founder Zhang Zewei told Jimu News that his company has already received over 200 orders since March, most of which came from parents who had lost their child from an illness, accident or natural disaster.