Until a few years ago, it was common to keep photos, videos, letters, books or recordings of the people we love, as if to preserve the memory, and thus gradually overcome the grief.
However, in recent years some AI users are creating avatars with all the possible characteristics of their deceased and even cloning their voices to cope with this loss.
These digital options allow you to ‘talk to the dead’ in real time, reproducing their image and voice, or even chat with them through bots. There are already applications dedicated to offering this type of service, available both for those who want to be remembered after death and for those who want to remember them.
“It could be related to the person’s need to continue to be in contact with their family through these digital applications, it is like a way of not giving up on the loss, not giving up on the idea of not being able to have this person,” explains psychotherapist Liliana Tuñoque, from the International Clinic.
According to a CNN report, one of the artificial intelligence tools used for this purpose is Snapchat My AI. It offers recommendations, answers questions and can also talk to users. Thanks to these features, some people create images of the deceased to communicate with them.
On the other hand, the use of voice cloning has also been noted, with platforms such as ElevenLabs. To have access to this function, a large amount of recorded material must be available to create a more realistic voice.
“It involves a risk”
While it is true that the appearance of ChatGPT in 2022 put artificial intelligence in the world’s spotlight, the truth is that this is a technology with a long history. The product developed by OpenAI is not the only tool to work with AI.
There are apps dedicated to creating personal assistants, such as StoryFile, which allows you to make videos and interactive conversations to remember. “Imagine if you could record yourself on video answering questions, so that future generations could talk to you (and you could answer them),” says the StoryFile page.
Another platform is HereAfterAI, which allows you to create a chatbot, record videos and replicate a person’s voice. “Say hello to your virtual self. To learn more about your life and personality, your loved ones just have to ask the app questions. They will see your photos and hear your memories in your real voice,” the tool says about its functions. Replika is another platform with which you can create an artificial intelligence companion.
Although some platforms present themselves as therapeutic companies, the specialist warns of a risk for users who interact with this type of tool as if it were their real family member.
“From a psychological point of view, this implies a risk. It will depend a lot on the personality and mental health of the person. Why? Because this can create a risk for the person to adequately overcome grief, it could generate greater emotional dependence on the deceased person,” he told Trade.
This could trigger depression or a distortion of reality. To use these tools, Tuñoque points out, a history of schizophrenia or psychosis that affects mental health must be assessed.
“You have to be very careful. It will depend, one, on the emotional stability of the person; two, on their mental health; three, on the type of bond they have established with the person. [fallecida]”, said.
Responsible use
With the advancement of artificial intelligence, the risks of this technology have also come to light. The European Union was the first institution to establish the rules for the use of this tool this year.
Among its objectives is “ensuring that artificial intelligence systems are safe and respect citizens’ rights.” This is due to the large amount of data and personal information that these systems work with.
In the case of HereAfterAI, it states on its website: “Only you and the people you authorize will be able to access your memories.” And, as the psychotherapist from the International Clinic emphasizes, there is an ethical component that must be taken into account.
“You have to be ethical in the sense of why you want to use or have these digital applications, what their function would be, what your objective would be, what it is that you are looking for through them. So, you should always discuss it with a close family member to be able to have greater clarity and be able to make an appropriate decision,” said the specialist.
This is how artificial intelligence opens the debate on memory and life after death, a situation that involves both the deceased person and their loved ones.