South China Morning Post (SCMP)

**AI Son Created to Comfort Mother After Tragic Death**

culture health technology
**AI Son Created to Comfort Mother After Tragic Death**
A family in China has used artificial intelligence to create a digital clone of their deceased son. They hope it will help his elderly mother cope with her grief. The only son died in a road accident last year. His family, from Shandong province, hired a specialized AI team to build a chatbot version of him. The AI clone can now have text conversations with his mother, who is in her eighties. The digital replica is designed to provide her with comfort and companionship. The project was revealed by the team's leader, Zhang Zewei, from Jiangsu province. He spoke to Chinese media outlet Litchi News about the case. This use of "grief technology" shows how some are turning to AI for emotional support after a loss. The technology creates a simulation that can interact like the lost loved one.