- Artificial intelligence is used in China to create digital replicas of ex-partners for healing
- People upload chats, notes, and photos to AI platforms to generate these ex-partner replicas
- Privacy concerns and debates on emotional infidelity arise from interacting with AI exes
Artificial intelligence (AI) has infiltrated every field. From the IT sector to media and entertainment, it is, as many experts claim, taking away or poised to take away jobs. While people are busy upskilling themselves or learning how to become more efficient using AI tools, they do not realise that it has also entered their love lives.
No, we are not talking about people using AI to make small talk or typing prompts while seeking relationship advice. In China, according to the South China Morning Post, artificial intelligence has kick-started a new trend in which people are making AI replicas of their ex-partners to heal themselves.
Depending on how you view the boom of AI, this piece of information might come across as revolutionary or make you question privacy while giving you the ick.
China's Trend Of Creating AI Replicas Of Ex-Partners
This is a recent trend in China where people struggling with heartbreak create digital replicas of their ex-partners using AI. How? They feed chats, notes, social media content, and photos into an AI platform.
This phenomenon has originated from Colleague.skill, which was created by Shanghai-based AI engineer Zhou Tianyi. It was created to generate reusable AI skill packages from everyday documents, communications, and experiences. It aims to preserve and leverage employees' knowledge.
As the platform gained popularity, people started using it for personal relationships. It began with employees feeding the platform data about meetings or their bosses, allowing them to understand the workplace better.
Amid this, the Ex‑partner.skill feature also gained traction among users. Despite technical difficulties, some paid between USD 3.7 (approximately Rs 351) and USD 6.6 (approximately Rs 626) for installation. According to the publication, supporters say that AI exes offer emotional support and comfort.
"I can finally say the things I never got to say, and it makes me feel so much better," one user said.
Another person admitted that after cheating on the bot variant of their ex, they realised that their former partner was not an ideal match.
A third user revealed that uploading chat logs resulted in yet another break-up. The woman noted that the experience helped her reflect on her relationships rationally. It also gave her the strength to move on in life.
China's Trend Of Creating AI Clones Of Ex-Partners Triggers Privacy Debate
Much like any viral trend, there are two sides to China's growing popularity for creating digital replicas of ex-partners. Internet users are debating privacy, while critics are cautioning against emotional infidelity.
It could amount to emotional cheating if a person continues to interact with the digital version of their ex while exploring their options in the dating world. Experts are saying that a connection with an AI replica of an ex-partner can foster emotional attachment, diverting people from developing real connections with humans.
And critics continue to debate privacy as users are feeding bots with private chats, social media content, and photographs.
While AI has revolutionised the way people deal with heartbreak around the world, it cannot replace the human bond. Feelings of frustration, anger, happiness, confusion, and countless other emotions cannot be digitised, no matter what information you feed an AI bot.
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