Communicating with the Deceased? AI Technology Utilizing 'Digital Footprints' Gains Attention

MIT Researchers Conduct Project to Recreate Personality Using AI Technology
Creating Avatars of the Deceased to Transfer Knowledge and Experience... Difficult to Implement Ideology and Emotions

[Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jung-wan] There is a claim that by inputting the deceased's social network service (SNS) activities and other 'digital footprints' into artificial intelligence (AI), communication with others can continue even after death.

On the 21st (local time), according to the British newspaper The Times, a research team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States is conducting a project called 'Augmented Eternity,' which recreates the personality of the deceased using AI technology.

Dr. Hosein Ramana of the MIT research team stated that 25 people, including those who want to utilize specific intellectual abilities or achievements after death, or those who want to leave traces of their terminal lives, are participating in the project.

The project began with the idea that by inputting all the 'digital footprints' left during life, such as SNS activities, into AI to create an avatar, it might be possible for this avatar to imitate the deceased's appearance exactly as they were in life.

Dr. Ramana said, "I receive many emails from various fields expressing a desire to create and share their knowledge or expertise as data," adding, "It is relatively easy to replicate the knowledge of professionals or to database the legal knowledge of famous lawyers into AI."

He also explained, "We are currently collaborating with a famous CEO of a Fortune 500 company. This CEO, who is in his 80s, earnestly hopes that his know-how will be passed on to the executives of the company he founded."

Dr. Ramana argued that while AI cannot accurately represent a person's intuition or thoughts, it can offer opinions. He said, "An AI avatar cannot instruct people on what to do, but it can provide opinions on likes, dislikes, or particular perspectives."

He emphasized that avatars or chatbots could be created so that those with terminal illnesses can comfortably communicate with their loved ones after death. He added, "AI cannot precisely represent our intuition, thoughts, social behaviors, or emotions, but it can express these sentiments to some extent. Currently, AI has reached a level where it can interact with people and arouse their interest."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.