Would You Want to Live On as an AI Chatbot After You Die?

How technology is redefining death, memory and immortality.

- Patrick van Esch and Yuanyuan Cui

Imagine attending a funeral where the person who has died speaks directly to you, answering your questions and sharing memories. This happened at the funeral of Mrs. Marina Smith, a Holocaust educator who died in 2022.

Thanks to an artificial intelligence (AI) technology company called StoryFile, Mrs. Smith seemed to interact naturally with her family and friends.

The system used pre-recorded answers combined with AI to create a realistic, interactive experience. This wasn't just a video; it was something closer to a real conversation, giving people a new way to feel connected to a loved one after they're gone.

VIRTUAL LIFE AFTER DEATH

Technology has already begun to change how people think about life after death.

Several technology companies are helping people manage their digital lives after they're gone. For example, Apple, Google and Meta offer tools to allow someone you trust to access your online accounts when you die.

Microsoft has patented a system that can take someone's digital data – such as texts, emails and social media posts – and use it to create a chatbot. This chatbot can respond in ways that sound like the original person.

In South Korea, a group of media companies took this idea even further.

A documentary called Meeting You showed a mother reunited with her daughter through virtual reality. Using advanced digital imaging and voice technology, the mother was able to see and talk to her dead daughter as if she were really there.

These examples may seem like science fiction, but they're real tools available today.

As AI continues to improve, the possibility of creating digital versions of people after they die feels closer than ever.

WHO OWNS YOUR DIGITAL AFTERLIFE?

While the idea of a digital afterlife is fascinating, it raises some big questions.

For example, who owns your online accounts after you die?