Learning about grandmothers for conversation
Chinese youth: "Happy to be able to look at grandmother"
Criticism: "Inappropriate as a way to mourn the deceased"
A young man living in China has attracted attention by posting a video in which he freely converses with his late grandmother using artificial intelligence (AI) technology. However, some critics argue that using AI technology to recreate the deceased is not an appropriate way to pay tribute.
According to foreign media including IT outlet PetaPixel on the 18th (local time), recently Wu (24), who lives in Shanghai, posted a video on social networking services (SNS) where he talks with his late grandmother using ChatGPT and an image-generating AI program.
A young Chinese man has sparked controversy by using AI technology to recreate the appearance of his late grandmother. [Image source=Bilibili]
In the video, Wu says, "This year, my dad and I will go to our hometown to spend Lunar New Year with Grandma," and asks, "Recently, my dad called Grandma. What did she say?" Grandma replies to her grandson's question, "She told me to stop drinking wine," and adds, "Also to stop playing card games and to be frugal."
When Wu asks, "What did you buy for Lunar New Year?" Grandma answers, "I bought two bottles of cooking oil. Each bottle costs 75 yuan (about 14,000 won)."
According to reports, Wu was raised by his grandmother in his hometown in southern China after his parents divorced when he was young. Later, while working as a visual arts designer in Shanghai, he returned to his hometown upon hearing that his grandmother was ill and stayed by her side for 15 days.
However, his grandmother passed away in January at the age of 84. After contracting COVID-19, she fell into a coma and was unable to say goodbye to Wu.
Heartbroken, Wu decided to 'resurrect' his grandmother using AI technology. He applied AI technology to phone recordings containing his grandmother’s voice and old photos to create an avatar that represents her appearance when she was alive.
He also trained the AI through conversations with ChatGPT so it could respond like his grandmother. He said, "I shared many details about Grandma’s life with ChatGPT, hoping to communicate with her tone."
Wu said, "Currently, Grandma can only engage in simple conversations," adding, "If my words become more complex, the AI cannot understand." He continued, "The 'Grandma Resurrection' project is just for psychological comfort," and said, "It’s nice to be able to look at Grandma and talk with her."
Wu’s story became a hot topic after being shared on Chinese SNS platforms such as Weibo. However, debates arose over whether applying AI technology to the deceased is appropriate.
One netizen said, "(Recreating the deceased with AI) is one way to soothe grief. What Wu did is meaningful."
On the other hand, some netizens responded, "We need to face reality. Being born and dying is a normal process," and "This is not the real Grandma. We should let Grandma rest in peace and cherish her memory in our hearts."
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