AI brings dead woman back to life at her funeral
What's the story
During a funeral, Marina Smith MBE, a Holocaust campaigner, gave a brief speech about her life and responded to questions from the mourners present. You might be wondering what's newsworthy about it. For starters, it was her own funeral. Don't be scared, though, it wasn't her spirit speaking. Instead, she spoke through an AI-powered technology built by her son's company StoryFile.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Losing a loved one is hard on everyone. It creates a void in our lives that sometimes takes years to erase. Funerals, rituals, memorials, etc. are different ways to remember them. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has, however, added something new to our mourning process: interaction with the deceased. This new technology could give us the much-needed closure we ache for.
The technology
StoryFile creates a digital clone of the person
StoryFile was founded in 2017 by Stephen D Smith and Heather Maio-Smith, the children of Mrs. Smith. It helps to have conversations with dead people. The company creates a digital clone of the person using 20 synchronized cameras, 3D video technology, depth kits, and other state-of-the-art equipment. The subject then answers questions for hours, which will be then used to simulate the interaction.
AI
AI was trained to play the correct clip
In the interaction between Mrs. Smith and her guests, the answers were not generated by the AI. Instead, the AI was trained to answer the questions naturally. For that purpose, the long video was split into small clips. The AI matched the questions from guests and played the correct clip. Mourners were able to interact with a holographic image of Mrs. Smith.
Official words
You cannot create a synthetic version of someone: Stephen
The interaction with Mrs. Smith stunned many of the guests present at her funeral. Answering whether the technology will go beyond pre-recorded and pre-fed data, Stephen told BBC, "Everything about us is so absolutely unique to us. There is no way you can create a synthetic version of me, even though it may look like me."
Lalo
Lalo helps in creating an intimate space of memories
StoryFile isn't the only company working on bringing the dead back to "life." Seattle-based Lalo launched a "death tech-driven" app that helps users create an intimate space to remember loved ones. You will be able to store videos, pictures, audio, and texts. The app will guide you in creating a personalized journey to store memories.
Other works
Virtual avatars capable of mimicking deceased persons also in works
DeepBrain AI, a South Korea-based start-up, provides a service similar to that of StoryFile. Its premium "Rememory" service recreates the client's late family members. The virtual avatar of deceased ones will be based on their personality, physique, voice, and expressions. Microsoft is also working on a chatbot that uses the deceased person's information to build a digital avatar capable of mimicking their behavior.
'Death tech'
Deep Nostalgia animates still photos of lost loved ones
Deep Nostalgia is another death tech-driven app that has gained attention. It helps bring still photos of deceased ones to life. The app uses deep fake technology to animate still photos. Similarly, an Austin-based start-up called Eterneva turns cremated remains of lost loved ones into diamonds. Project December, on the other hand, helps you talk to dead people in the form of a chatbot.