How artificial intelligence is now being used in the grieving process
[KARAH RUCKER]
A NEW PHENOMENA IS EMERGING AS A PART OF THE GRIEVING PROCESS–
BRINGING THE DEAD TO LIFE THROUGH A-I.
SOME SEE IT AS A WAY TO ALLOW A PERSON TO LIVE ON THROUGH MEMORIES.
OTHERS WORRY ABOUT THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES.
STILL, THOSE CONCERNS AREN’T STOPPING MICHAEL BOMMER, A TERMINALLY ILL GERMAN MAN, AND HIS WIFE FROM CREATING AN AI-GENERATED VERSION OF HIS VOICE.
BOMMER FINDS COMFORT IN KNOWING HIS WIFE WILL BE ABLE TO LISTEN TO HIS WORDS AFTER HIS DEATH.
THE COUPLE TEAMED UP WITH AN AMERICAN CEO FRIEND, WHO RUNS LEGACY PLATFORM “ETERNOS,” BUILDING “A COMPREHENSIVE, INTERACTIVE VERSION” OF BOMMER, THE COMPANY’S FIRST CLIENT.
[ ROBERT LOCASCIO]
‘WE HAVE, YOU SAY, 300 DIFFERENT PHRASES THAT CAPTURE, I’LL CALL IT YOUR EMOTIONAL VOICE. SO SOMETIMES YOU SAY, ‘I LOVE YOU! OR YOU SAY, ‘I LOVE YOU.” AND THEY SAY, ‘OH, THE DOOR IS OPEN.!’ AND WE CAPTURE ALL THAT AND THEN WE COMPRESS ALL THAT AND MAKE AN AI OUT OF IT. THAT’S, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES ABOUT AN HOUR OF RECORD, BUT IT TAKES ABOUT TWO DAYS TO COMPUTE TO MAKE THAT INTO YOU. AND THAT BECOMES YOUR VOICE. THAT BECOMES YOUR TALKING AI, I’LL CALL IT YOUR ESSENCE.’
[KARAH RUCKER]
ETERNOS USES LANGUAGE MODELS DEVELOPED BY COMPANIES LIKE META, OPENAI AND FRENCH FIRM MISTRAL A-I.
THE MODEL CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM LIFE EVENTS TO THE PERSON’S POLITICAL VIEWS THROUGH A COMPUTER. THE COST IS AROUND 15-THOUSAND DOLLARS.
IT’S AMONG SEVERAL COMPANIES VENTURING INTO THE BUSINESS OF GRIEF-RELATED A-I TECH.
SOME EXAMPLES, CALIFORNIA-BASED STORYFILE ALLOWS USERS TO INTERACT WITH PRE RECORDED VIDEOS OF LOVED ONES– USING ALGORITHMS TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
HEREAFTER A-I, OFFERS A SIMILAR INTERACTION WITH A “LIFE STORY AVATAR.
AND SEANCE A-I, OFFERS FICTIONAL SEANCES.
STILL, ETHICAL QUESTIONS REMAIN– LIKE IF A COMPANY GOES BELLY-UP.
STORYFILE HAS FILED FOR CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION.
SAYING IT OWES AROUND 4.5 MILLION DOLLARS TO CREDITORS.
THE COMPANY SAYS IT’S CURRENTLY SETTING UP A “FAIL-SAFE” SYSTEM ALLOWING FAMILIES TO HAVE ACCESS TO MATERIALS WHETHER OR NOT IT FOLDS.
A RESEARCHER WHO CO-AUTHORED A STUDY ON THE TECHNOLOGY RAISED OTHER CONCERNS LIKE THE RIGHTS OF THE DEAD AND WHETHER THE SERVICES TRULY OFFER CLOSURE. SAYING IT REMAINS “A VAST TECHNO-CULTURAL EXPERIMENT.”
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