AI companies are creating "generative ghosts" of deceased loved ones
Startups are using emails, photos and voice recordings to create AI simulations that family and friends can interact with after a loved one's death.
Jack Manning knows firsthand the emotional and practical challenge of memorializing a loved one in a way that feels appropriate. After losing his sister more than 10 years ago, he and his family spent hundreds of hours raising funds to organize a volunteer project honoring her.
"It took years of bake sales and 5Ks to raise money to honor her memory in a way that was meaningful to us. We got to see how much effort is required to create a memorial that's impactful," he told CBS News. "I thought, surely there is a way that technology can help us."
Enter artificial intelligence. Manning, a doctoral candidate in information science at the University of Colorado Boulder, is now studying the use of large language models (LLM) to create what some are calling "generative ghosts" — AI chatbots trained on a dead person's social media posts, emails, audio and video recordings, photos and other data to create a digital simulation that family and friends can interact with after the individual's death.
"It is definitely a growing sector. We're seeing growth in interest in how AI and grief intertwine," Manning said.
A number of startups now offer these services, including Séance AI , You, Only Virtual and re;memory . For example, Re;memory, lets users create lifelike avatars of their loved ones based on photos and voice recordings.
"By allowing you to interact with a lifelike digital avatar of your loved one, you can find solace in expressing your love and forgiveness, creating a bridge to the cherished moments you hold dear," the company says on its website. The tool "allows you to see and hear your parents as they were in their cherished photos, rather than just imagining them."