A new craze has taken hold in China, where grandmothers are forming emotional attachments to “AI grandsons”—adorable, chubby digital babies showcased in captivating videos. These AI-generated toddlers, impressively skilled at cooking, carrying heavy loads, and handling daily chores, became especially popular during the Lunar New Year. When younger relatives returned home for the festivities, they were surprised to see their elders completely engrossed in these virtual infants, dressed in bright red festive outfits.
Despite being purely digital creations, many grandmothers are convinced these AI babies are real, amazed by their seemingly impossible skills. Viral clips show them confidently transporting gold ingots, chopping vegetables, and preparing full meals. In one widely shared video, a toddler effortlessly hoists a roasted pig and carries it barefoot to his grandmother’s home. Another shows a diaper-clad baby gathering eggplants before cooking a meal. Some clips even depict infants using chopsticks with surprising precision to eat bowls of noodles covered in chili oil.
While younger viewers quickly notice odd details—such as unnatural hand movements or the sudden appearance of extra chopsticks—the grandmothers remain completely enchanted. *“Wow, look how well he eats! He’s so young and already knows how to use chopsticks. What a delightful little person,”* one elderly woman gushed.
Other videos show AI toddlers playing among chickens, sparking real concern from grandmothers. *“Be careful, darling! I’m worried about your little eyes getting poked by the chickens,”* one woman fretted. Even when family members try to explain that these babies aren’t real, their elders refuse to believe it. *“Fake? But look how cute they are! I think you’re the fake one!”* some snap back at their grandchildren.
Many social media users in China sympathize with this trend, recognizing that these AI videos bring comfort and companionship to elderly people. *“Instead of constantly telling them it’s fake, as long as they aren’t spending money, just let them enjoy it however they like,”* one user suggested.
