Hong Kong teenager with a rare disease creates an AI avatar

A Hong Kong teenager with a rare muscle-wasting disease has created an AI version of himself, hoping the digital twin can continue sharing his life story and message of perseverance even after he is gone.⁠

Chen Tsz-kin, 17, unveiled “AI Tsz-kin” at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) on Sunday, weeks before his 18th birthday – an age the student said he had long feared reaching because he was once told it was the average life expectancy for people with his disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy.⁠⁠

“Life may come to an end, but through different means, AI can allow [my message] to continue,” he said. “Even if one day I am no longer here, I just hope people remember the spirit behind it.”⁠