In a serene graveyard in East China, grieving Seakoo Wu uses his mobile phone to play a synthesized recording of his late son over his tombstone, a voice engineered through artificial intelligence technology. Xiuanmo, the son, never uttered these words when he was alive, but they now exist through AI. I understand your anguish due to my absence, sensing guilt and powerlessness, resonates Xuanmo's voice, slightly mechanical.

Overwhelmed with sorrow, Wu and his wife are among the increasing number of Chinese citizens turning to AI to construct realistic humanoid avatars of their departed loved ones. Wu's ultimate goal is to create a perfect digital duplicate of his deceased son who can exist in the virtual reality environment.

Several Chinese enterprises claim to have created numerous digital humans using minimum audiovisual content of the deceased. Experts believe this approach provides some solace to those grieving the loss of their loved ones.

Tragedy struck Wu and his wife when Xuanmo, their only child and a student at Exeter University in the UK, passed away unexpectedly due to a stroke at the age of 22. Motivated by Xuanmo's philanthropic nature and moral compass, Wu invested a substantial sum of money in AI companies to clone Xuanmo's facial features and vocal patterns.

In addition to these efforts, Wu and a dedicated team have also compiled a comprehensive database comprising a multitude of information about Xuanmo. With this, Wu aims to use advanced algorithms to create a digital version of Xuanmo who can mimic his thought process and verbal mannerisms impeccably.

Developing such ghost bots has gained popularity in the United States in recent years, with the industry flourishing in China. Super Brain, an AI company, charges between $1,553 and $3,107 to create a basic avatar in about 20 days. People can even interact with a staff member who mimics the facial features and voice of the deceased.

However, ethical questions arise in terms of the deceased's consent and the accuracy of these ghost bots in mimicking the personality of the individual they are created to represent. While this technology's potential impact is significant, the broader psychological and ethical implications need to be studied clearanced carefully to ensure it can continue to provide aid and comfort to those who need it.