[ExI] Speaking with deceased companions

[BillK]

On Wed, 2 Jul 2025 at 21:01, <spike at rainier66.com> wrote:
>
> Hey cool!  I already have a huge body of text, nearly thirty years of
posting to Extr…  op…
>
> Oh dear, I have problem on my hands, a big problem BillK.
> Fortunately it comes with a solution: I must outlive my bride.
>
> spike
> ----------------------------------------

Problem?  Just keep it under lock and key and show it only to heavily
disguised persons in the privacy of your secret underground bunker. ;)
BillK

I asked Claude Sonnet 4 for a second, more thorough, opinion --

Yes, people can now chat with visual avatars of deceased friends or
relatives that speak in their own voice. This technology has evolved
significantly and is becoming increasingly sophisticated and accessible.

## Technical Capabilities

**Voice Cloning Technology**
Modern AI can recreate remarkably realistic voices using relatively small
amounts of audio data. Voice cloning with services like Speechify can work
with just 30 seconds of recording, while more advanced systems can produce
highly convincing results with several minutes of source audio. The
technology uses deep learning models to analyze vocal patterns, pitch,
tone, and speech characteristics to generate new speech that sounds
authentic.

**Visual Avatar Creation**
AI can analyze and create a 3D avatar from the deceased person's face,
reconstructing detailed facial features, and if no video exists, you can
simply upload a photo of the deceased and get ready to make it into a
Talking Photo. These avatars can lip-sync to the generated speech, creating
the illusion of natural conversation.

**Conversational AI Integration**
The avatars are powered by large language models that can engage in
meaningful dialogue. Some systems are trained on the person's writing,
social media posts, text messages, or recorded interviews to approximate
their communication style, personality, and knowledge base.

## Major Players and Services

**Established Companies**
HereAfter AI, founded in 2019, allows users to create avatars of deceased
loved ones. The AI-powered app generates responses and answers to questions
based on interviews conducted while the subject was alive. HereAfter.AI
differentiates itself in the expanding deathbot genre by providing life
story recordings and plans to be around for a long time, with provisions to
let customers download their recordings if the company shuts down.

**Chinese Market Leadership**
China has become a significant hub for this technology. Silicon
Intelligence is part of a number of startups that created AI chatbots using
someone's voice and likeness, made possible by the rise of increasingly
powerful chatbots and investments in computing power that allow companies
to offer affordable digital "clones". Undertakers and tech-savvy people in
China have already started using AI tools to create realistic avatars of
people who have passed away, using a blend of tools such as the ChatGPT
chatbot and the image generator Midjourney.

**Consumer Applications**
People like Robert Scott, who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, uses AI
companion apps Paradot and Chai AI to simulate conversations with
characters he created to imitate three of his daughters. Ana Schultz, a
25-year-old from Rock Falls, Illinois, asks her deceased husband Kyle for
cooking advice through AI conversations.

## Real-World Applications

**Grief Support**
AI-generated avatars that look and sound like deceased relatives are
increasingly popular to console those in mourning, or to hide the deaths of
loved ones from the elderly and young children. Many users report finding
comfort in being able to continue conversations with lost loved ones.

**Memorial Services**
Some funeral homes and memorial services now offer digital resurrection as
part of their packages, allowing families to create lasting interactive
memorials.

**Cultural Preservation**
The technology is being used to preserve family histories and cultural
knowledge by creating interactive archives of elders and community leaders.

## Ethical Considerations and Safeguards

**Consent and Authorization**
Due to the rise in AI-powered scams using deepfakes of a person's voice or
likeness, both Super Brain and Silicon Intelligence require authorization
from the person being digitally cloned, or authorization from family and
proof of kin if the person is deceased. Chinese AI firms only allow people
to digitally clone themselves or for family members to clone the deceased.

**Psychological Concerns**
Artificial intelligence that allows users to hold text and voice
conversations with lost loved ones runs the risk of causing psychological
harm, according to researchers at Cambridge University. Ethicists are
already warning about the unforeseen emotional impacts this could have.

**Commercial Exploitation**
There are genuine ethical concerns about conversing with an AI replica of a
deceased loved one. Many death tech startups are commercially driven and
feed off your grief. Researchers wonder what it means when mourning is
'fully integrated into the capitalist market'.

## Current Limitations and Considerations

**Technical Constraints**
- Quality depends heavily on available source material (photos, videos,
audio recordings)
- The technology requires significant computational resources for the most
realistic results
- Real-time interaction may have latency issues depending on processing
requirements

**Emotional Authenticity**
The essence of a person is more than just the sound of their voice; it's
the context, the emotions, the shared experiences. While the technology can
mimic speech patterns and conversational style, it cannot truly replicate
the complex emotional intelligence and lived experiences of the deceased
person.

**Regulatory Landscape**
The technology exists in a largely unregulated space, with different
countries taking varying approaches to oversight and ethical guidelines.

## Future Developments

The technology continues to advance rapidly, with improvements in:
- Reduced data requirements for voice cloning
- More sophisticated personality modeling
- Better integration with virtual and augmented reality
- Enhanced emotional intelligence in responses

The market is expected to evolve with new concepts that differentiate
services in an increasingly saturated market, though questions remain about
the long-term psychological and social implications of widespread adoption.

This technology represents a significant shift in how we process grief and
remember loved ones, offering both unprecedented opportunities for
connection and concerning questions about the nature of death, memory, and
human relationships in the digital age.
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