AI Digital Clones Aid Grief in China, Fueling USD 6 Billion Industry
- tech360.tv
- May 4
- 2 min read
Digital clones created with artificial intelligence are helping individuals in China process grief and reconnect with deceased loved ones. This emerging industry, valued at over USD 6 billion, offers interactive holographic devices and virtual reality replicas of lost family members and pets.
A video online shows deceased people and pets recreated inside portable holographic devices, interacting as if alive. While some find this concept unsettling, original posts featuring these holograms often receive supportive comments.
Many consider the technology a coping mechanism for profound grief and a significant business opportunity. The digital replication and holographic clone industry in China is growing at a rapid rate of 27% annually.
This trend is partly explained by China’s unique social and cultural landscape. Decades of a strict one-child policy, now lifted, left an aging generation vulnerable to losing their only child.
These parents often lack support systems and experience profound loneliness. Chinese culture also has a deep-rooted tradition of honouring and staying connected with the deceased, including ancestor reverence.
The combination of acute grief from losing an only child and cultural reverence contributes to the adoption of digital clones. These technologies provide a modern evolution for dealing with grief.
A man uses a tablet each week for conversations with his late mother, finding comfort in her digital presence. Another father is building a full virtual reality replica of his son, who passed away at 22 years old.
The demand for such technological comfort is escalating. Technology is stepping in to provide new ways for people to experience human connection, even when bridging the gap between life and death.
AI-powered digital clones help individuals in China grieve and reconnect with deceased loved ones, including pets.
The digital replication and holographic clone industry in China is valued at over USD 6 billion, growing at 27% annually.
Factors influencing this trend include the legacy of the one-child policy and China’s cultural tradition of honouring the deceased.
Source: MEDIUM
