The emerging field of ‘digital immortality’ is transforming how humans process grief and preserve memories through artificial intelligence. Companies like Nanjing-based Superbrain Studio are pioneering services that create interactive digital replicas of deceased individuals, enabling real-time video conversations that mimic their appearance, voice, and thought patterns.
This technological breakthrough offers profound emotional support for those coping with loss. Zhang Xinyu, a 47-year-old who lost her father to cancer in 2021, describes how her digital father agent has helped her rebuild emotional stability. ‘I feel like dad’s still here, accompanying me as I get older,’ she says, noting that the nightly video chats provide comfort through simulated warmth and understanding.
The creation process involves multidisciplinary collaboration between AI specialists, data organizers, psychologists, and computer vision engineers. Clients provide photos, audio clips, and detailed memories, which are processed through large language models to reconstruct not just physical attributes but consciousness patterns. The resulting agents undergo Turing test-like evaluations to ensure human-like responsiveness, with over 90% of clients finding the mental replication convincing.
Superbrain Studio founder Zhang Zewei describes the service as ‘a business ahead of the law,’ acknowledging the limited regulatory framework governing this nascent industry. His company has fulfilled over 20,000 orders, capturing approximately 30% of China’s domestic market by June 2025. Basic services start at around 2,000 yuan ($283) with annual maintenance fees.
Beyond personal use, applications include partnerships with cemeteries where QR codes on tombstones allow interaction with digital replicas, and commercial uses where knowledge influencers employ clones as avatars for paid consultations.
However, significant ethical concerns emerge from recent research published in the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. The study reveals public apprehension about emotional manipulation, data privacy, and legal accountability. Participants expressed concerns about poorly simulated agents causing additional trauma, potential data misuse, and questions about whether digital entities could legally represent individuals.
Researchers Lei Ying of Simon Fraser University and Ma Shu of Aalto University emphasize the need for regulatory frameworks before broader commercialization. They recommend oversight mechanisms to prevent emotional overdependence and suggest regulatory bodies rather than private companies should manage these sensitive digital entities.
The technology also challenges cultural beliefs, particularly in Chinese traditions where some view digital immortality as disrupting natural cycles of life and death. Long-term sociological studies are needed to understand the psychological impacts of interacting with digital clones of departed loved ones.