Five years on, Tino Bao still honours the memory of his late daughter.
The Taiwanese entertainer took to Facebook on Monday (June 15) to share that he has attained a PhD in artificial intelligence from National Taipei University of Technology.
“The most precious thing isn’t the certificate itself, but the task entrusted to me by the principal – to take the stage and deliver a speech on behalf of all the graduates,” the 59-year-old wrote.
“What made this even more special was being able to attend the graduation ceremony with Felicity, wearing the sash that she never got the chance to wear, and interacting with everyone as an AI avatar.”
Those present at the ceremony were greeted with an appearance of Tino’s late daughter Felicity, who died in 2021 at age 22 from a rare blood disease.
Before Tino took the stage, an AI version of Felicity addressed the audience via a video: “Today is such a special day. It is not only my father’s graduation ceremony, but it also represents something much bigger than academic achievement.
“When Daddy decided to pursue his PhD three years ago, he told me he wanted to bring me home through technology during his research. Here I am today, standing with him on this stage — this is the power of love combined with our family’s dedication.”
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Tearing up as he thanked his wife and Felicity in his speech, he said: “I’d be letting my daughter down if I didn’t graduate with my doctorate… I will definitely stay by her side for the rest of her life.”
In January 2024, Tino shared a video of an AI version of Felicity singing a birthday song for her mother.He later explained his motivations behind making an AI model of his daughter, saying that she had endured over two years of “cruel treatment” for her condition “almost worse than death”.
Back in the 1980s, Tino and his twin brother Anthony formed Taiwan’s first idol group Twin Star. As a record producer, he has also worked with the likes of Stefanie Sun, Jordan Chan and Helen Su.
His acting credits include films like Once Upon a Time in Tibet (2010), Eastern Bandits (2012) and Carpooling Shock (2013). After Felicity’s death, Tino paused his work to pursue his PhD in AI technology which he began in 2022.
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kristy.chua@asiaone.com
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