China's Youth Recreate Ex-Partners Using AI After Breakups, Raising Privacy Concerns

A new use of artificial intelligence is catching attention in China, where young people are turning to technology to cope with break-ups. Instead of moving on in traditional ways, some are choosing to recreate their former partners in digital form, reported the South China Morning Post.

A growing trend in the country allows young people dealing with break-ups to create digital replicas of their ex-partners using artificial intelligence. These AI-powered "exes" can mimic their former partner's tone, catchphrases and even subtle linguistic nuances, reviving long-lost relationships in a virtual format.

While this offers a new way to deal with emotional pain, it has also raised concerns. The trend presents a novel approach to emotional healing, but it has sparked a broader debate on privacy, emotional dependency and the limits of technology in relationships.

To create a digital version of an ex-partner, users upload chat logs, social media posts and photos to an AI platform. The system then uses a package called Ex-partner.skill to generate a basic version of the virtual ex-partner. Users can further refine the replica by sharing personal memories such as trips, eating habits, anniversaries and past arguments, gradually enhancing its personality.

The digital ex can reportedly engage in conversations using familiar tones and thought patterns, making the experience feel realistic for users.

The phenomenon originated from an open-source project called Colleague.skill, created by Shanghai-based AI engineer Zhou Tianyi. It was initially designed to generate reusable AI skill packages from everyday communications, documents and collaborative experiences, aiming to help teams preserve and use employees' knowledge.