For those who deeply miss a loved one who has passed, a South Korean company is offering what they feel is a solution. Thanks to AI technology and a few photos of the deceased, Re;memory lets you meet and talk with the loved one as if they were still alive.
Creepy? Probably, but Deepbrain AI has been creating video avatars for years and this is what they feel is the next step. The Re;memory service is said to help those who are grieving the loss of a loved one, perhaps even offering closure or one last chat.
Yep, that’s right, the communication between the AI and the bereaved family member takes place in both directions. That means you talk to the AI avatar and it talks back.
Re;memory uses photos and videos of the deceased to create the avatar, along with a seven-hour professionally shot video interview with the person before they pass. So this isn’t something you can just decide to do after someone has passed; it needs a lot of pre-planning.
Of course, money is a big factor for this service, too. DeepBrain AI stated in an interview with The Daily Mail that the set-up fee ranges from $12,000 to $24,000, and there’s a $1,200 charge every time you want to sit down and chat with the AI avatar in a private memorial showroom.
The service was recently previewed at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where many expressed everything from support to horror. Business Development Manager Joseph Murphy said that the service has been found to be “really polarising,” while acknowledging that “some people love the opportunity to live on forever in this way, but many people view it as inauthentic.”
Talking to The Daily Mail, Cruse Bereavement Support volunteer Sue Gill said that the whole thing sounds “bizarre and ghoulish.”
“Lots of people,” she continued, “when they know they are dying, write letters or journals or make recordings. That’s using modern technology at its best. This feels slightly like they are preying on the bereaved.”
So what are your thoughts on this service? Is it something you would use if you had the money, or is it a bit creepy?
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