A growing trend in China enables individuals to create AI replicas of former partners to navigate break-ups, mimicking their unique communication styles. While offering a novel form of emotional processing, this practice has ignited significant debate. Concerns are being raised about issues of privacy, emotional dependency, and the ethical boundaries of technology in personal relationships.

A growing trend in China 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 presents a novel approach to emotional healing, it has also sparked a broader debate on privacy, emotional dependency and the limits of technology in relationships. To create a...