For years now, a thriving cottage industry in China has been offering families the opportunity to speak to an AI clone of their deceased loved ones — for a monthly fee, of course.

But what if the surviving member of the family isn’t clued in to the fact that they’re speaking with an AI representation, rather than their actual loved one?

According to the South China Morning Post, which quotes reporting from a Chinese news outlet called Litchi News, the octogenarian mother of a man who was killed in a road accident has been unknowingly talking to his AI clone via regular video calls, thinking it’s actually him.

The woman is reportedly suffering from heart disease. Her family, who resides in Shandong province, “hoped to conceal the news” of her only child’s death, per the SCMP.

It’s a tragic story of grief in the age of AI, when the tech is making inroads toward replicating the appearance and voice of the dead. At the same time, the ruse raises thorny ethical questions when it comes to eldercare. Should we really intentionally deceive seniors to protect them from their own emotions?

The woman’s grandson reportedly reached out to an AI tech businessman, providing him with pictures, videos, and audio recordings of his recently deceased father. For his part, the AI businessmen joked to Litchi News that he’s in the business of “deceiving people’s emotions,” also saying that “what we do is to comfort the living.”

The AI clone informed the woman that her son had moved and was unable to meet her in the flesh.

“You should call me more often so that I know whether you live well or not in another city,” the unsuspecting mother told the AI, as quoted by the SCMP. “I am missing you so much. I feel so sorry that I cannot see you in person.”

“OK, mum,” the AI replied. “But I am too busy. I cannot talk to you for a long time. You take care of yourself. When I have made enough money, I will return home to pay my filial piety to you.”

Though the story is perfectly believable, forgive us for harboring some degree of skepticism. While Litchi News does appear to exist — it seems to be owned by the Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation, China’s third largest TV network — we were unable to locate the original story or independently verify Zhang’s claims.

Regardles, netizens were appalled by the story, arguing that the woman’s family had gone too far.

“This is one of the worst likely uses of AI,” one Reddit user commented.

“This is going to harm this woman more than the truth,” another user added.

More on the deceased and AI: People Are Selling AI Clones of Dead Relatives for Just $150