China Is Using AI to Bring Back the Dead

China's Digital Afterlife Revolution Transforms Ancient Mourning Traditions

When Zhang Ming lost his grandfather last year, he did what millions of Chinese families have done for centuries: prepared for Qingming Festival, the annual day of remembrance when families sweep ancestral graves and make ritual offerings. But this year, Zhang added something unprecedented to the tradition. He downloaded an app called Lingyu, uploaded old photos and voice recordings, and started talking to an AI avatar of his late grandfather in their regional Tianjin dialect.

"It feels like talking to him again," Zhang told China Daily Asia. "My family finds comfort in it."

Zhang isn't alone. As Qingming 2026 approaches on 4 April, a rapidly expanding grief tech industry is reshaping how China mourns its dead, powered by generative AI^✦ that can clone voices, animate faces, and simulate conversations with people who are no longer alive. The convergence of ancient mourning rituals and cutting-edge^✦ technology reflects broader trends in how Asia is embracing AI companions for emotional support.

From Niche Service to Billion-Dollar Market

The numbers reveal a staggering transformation. China's AI emotional companionship market is projected to surge from 3.9 billion yuan ($530 million) in 2025 to 59.5 billion yuan ($8.2 billion) by 2028, a compound annual growth rate of nearly 149%. Grief tech, whilst a subset of that broader category, represents one of its fastest-growing segments.

Super Brain, a startup founded by entrepreneur Zhang Zewei in Taizhou, has "resurrected" more than 1,000 people since launching its service. The company feeds large language models information about the deceased, along with images, video, and audio recordings, to produce their likeness. Prices range from several hundred yuan for basic video snippets to 50,000 to 100,000 yuan ($6,860 to $13,710) for fully customised chatbots that can hold extended conversations.

Lingyu, founded by Gao Wei, attracted nearly 10,000 users within two months of launch, with hundreds subscribing to the paid "Digital Life" tier. Silicon Intelligence, a Nanjing-based startup, can create a conversational avatar from just one minute of video footage. Meanwhile, Fu Shou Yuan International Group, one of China's largest funeral operators, now offers cloud-based digital memorials alongside its traditional services.

Regional Digital Mourning Spreads Beyond China

China isn't the only country where AI is changing how people remember the dead. In South Korea, a television programme aired a virtual reality reunion between a mother and her deceased daughter, watched by millions and sparking national debate about the ethics of digital grief. Japan has seen the rise of "digital graveyards" aimed at younger generations who live too far from ancestral homes to visit physical burial sites.

E-commerce platforms across China now host a growing marketplace for these services, ranging from basic voice replication at a few hundred yuan to real-time "video calls" with AI versions of the departed. Orders spike predictably ahead of Qingming Festival, known as Tomb Sweeping Day, when families traditionally clean ancestors' graves and make offerings.

"As AI evolves, emotional interactions with multimodal^✦ generative AI will become even more immersive. We are only at the beginning of what this technology can offer grieving families." - Gao Wei, Founder, Lingyu

Beijing Steps In With Sweeping New Regulations

The boom has not gone unnoticed by regulators. In late 2025, China's Cyberspace Administration (CAC) released draft regulations targeting "anthropomorphic interactive AI," a broad category that covers chatbots, AI companions, and grief tech services that communicate like humans and engage in emotional interaction. This regulatory move aligns with broader concerns about China's approach to AI governance.

The draft rules, which closed for public comment on 25 January 2026, introduce several requirements that could reshape the industry:

• Providers must analyse user emotional states and dependence levels regularly
• Mandatory reminders that users are interacting with AI must be displayed prominently
• Interactions must stop immediately when users request it
• Emergency contact notification is required for services involving minors or elderly users
• AI systems are explicitly banned from imitating elderly users' relatives

That final provision stands out for its direct relevance to grief tech. If enforced as written, it could upend the core business model of companies like Super Brain and Lingyu, which exist precisely to recreate deceased family members.

"If people become trapped in digital grief, it may distort their perception of real-world relationships and emotional health. We need guardrails^✦, not just technology." - Gui Mumei, Sociologist, Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences

The Psychology of Digital Mourning Divides Experts

Psychologists remain divided on whether AI grief tools help or harm the bereaved. Supporters argue they offer transitional comfort, particularly in cultures where emotional expression around death is tightly prescribed. Critics worry they delay the acceptance that is central to healthy grieving.

"True mourning begins only when one comes to terms with death and acknowledges the change in their life," says Tang Suqin, a psychology professor who has studied digital grief patterns. The concern is that an AI avatar, however comforting, allows families to avoid that reckoning indefinitely. This echoes broader debates about AI's role in how we process loss.

Lin Xiao, an AI researcher at Shanghai Normal University, frames the challenge more pragmatically: "The question isn't whether this technology should exist, but how we design it responsibly to support healthy grieving processes rather than prolonging denial."

How do AI grief tools actually work?

These services analyse photos, videos, and audio recordings of deceased individuals using machine learning^✦ algorithms. They create digital avatars that can speak, move, and respond to questions based on the available data, often incorporating personality traits described by family members.

Are AI grief services legal in China?

Currently yes, but new regulations may restrict their operation. The CAC's draft rules specifically ban AI from imitating elderly users' relatives, which could affect many grief tech companies' core services when implemented.

How much do these services typically cost?

Prices vary widely, from free basic apps to premium services costing up to $13,710. Most companies offer tiered pricing, with simple voice recreation starting around several hundred yuan and full conversational avatars commanding premium rates.

What data do companies need to create AI avatars?

Most services require photos, voice recordings, and video footage. Some advanced platforms can work with as little as one minute of video, whilst others need extensive material to create realistic, responsive avatars.

Do other Asian countries have similar AI grief services?

Yes, South Korea and Japan have developed comparable offerings, though China's market is the largest and most developed. The cultural significance of ancestor veneration across East Asia has driven regional adoption of these technologies.