Eternal You

Start-ups are using AI to create avatars that allow relatives to talk with their deceased loved ones. An exploration of a profound human desire and the consequences of turning the dream of immortality into a product. However, such technological progress may also come at a real human cost.

Eternal You follows people from around the globe who are using AI to create avatars of deceased people. This way, their loved ones can still interact with them. Christi, for example, still connects with her deceased partner. She uses Project December – an online site which utilises deep AI to simulate realistic conversations – which mines his digital identity (such as social media posts and text messages) to better mimic his voice. Christi feels like she is having meaningful conversations which bring a sense of peace.  

Stephenie is delighted to hear her dead father’s voice thanks to audio manipulation tools. Grieving Korean mother Jang Ji-sung is reunited with her deceased daughter through the magic of virtual reality. But, as experts attest, these technological miracles are also problematic in profound ways. Is this ‘death capitalism’ emotionally manipulating the vulnerable?