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By Rob Waugh, Tech Correspondent For Dailymail.Com
Published: 16:04 BST, 2 October 2023 | Updated: 16:10 BST, 2 October 2023
In an intriguing experience, I found myself conversing with a lifelike AI avatar of myself on my phone screen. As I introduced myself as Robert, ready to share my life story, I couldn’t help but wonder: What if we could continue communicating with our loved ones even after they’re gone?
This futuristic concept is made possible by a ‘digital afterlife’ service called Hereafter.AI. Developed by programmer James Vlahos after his father passed away from cancer in 2016, Hereafter.AI is part of a new wave of AI-powered ‘grief tech’. Experts in AI anticipate that these AI bots, designed to emulate deceased loved ones, will become increasingly sophisticated, allowing individuals to maintain a connection with them even in death. Who knows, we might even have 3D holograms of our loved ones joining us for Christmas dinner in the future.
Vlahos initially created a ‘Dadbot’ while his father was still alive, recording his responses to various questions. Hereafter.AI has now taken this concept further, utilizing AI to facilitate seamless interaction. The app promises to preserve your stories and voice indefinitely. When I tried it out, I was confronted with an AI-powered chatbot resembling me, complete with my picture. Pressing a button on the screen, the image pulsed before responding, creating an eerie atmosphere akin to using a digital Ouija board.
Experiencing the sound of my own voice emanating from the screen was undeniably disconcerting. Imagining the same encounter with a deceased loved one sent shivers down my spine. However, the service itself is remarkable. The AI allows for natural conversations with the ‘deceased’ person, effectively guiding users to pre-recorded anecdotes about their parents, hobbies, and other aspects of their lives. The process begins with an in-depth interview within the app, exploring various facets of one’s life. Through automated prompts and questions about siblings and memorable holidays, the AI gradually fills in the gaps. There is an undeniable raw honesty to conversing with the app, particularly due to the emotional subjects it touches upon.
Despite its merits, the service does come with a significant caveat: a monthly subscription fee of $3.99 for the basic version and $7.99 for the full version. In essence, your deceased relatives can only ‘live on’ as long as you continue to pay.
The advancement of AI brings us closer to a future where deceased loved ones could join us at Christmas dinner through 3D holographic avatars. Dhilon Solanki, the founder of Story Locker, a personal podcast platform, remarks on the profound impact of AI in preserving and extending our legacies. As we pursue longevity and anti-aging techniques, the demand for digital afterlife services is likely to rise. This would ensure that not only do we achieve our allotted time on this earth but also have our voices and images ‘banked’, accessible to future generations. Solanki suggests that even a few snippets of old recordings could be sufficient for advanced language models to simulate conversations with the departed or perhaps recreate their personalities altogether.
The visual capabilities of AI, as demonstrated by the rise of deepfake videos, introduce the possibility of creating 3D holographic avatars of long-lost family members. These avatars could occupy empty chairs around the Christmas dinner table, bridging the physical and spiritual. Nevertheless, we should not overlook the importance of documenting and cherishing our present moments with loved ones. Legacy AI tools should not become an excuse for neglecting the opportunities we have in the here and now. Furthermore, the ethical and personal implications of these innovations are significant and warrant careful consideration. They compel us to question the boundaries between man and machine and the preservation of our human memories and relationships. Are we opening a Pandora’s Box by using AI to bring back loved ones ‘in spirit’?
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EXCLUSIVE: I tested an AI ‘digital afterlife’ service so my clone can live on after death
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