Healing tool or harmful tech?: How AI is changing how we mourn
ITV News' Science Correspondent Martin Stew looks into the growing trend of AI technology being used to bring loved ones who have died back to life
When Leanne Battersby started talking to a digital avatar of her dead son on Coronation Street it raised eyebrows.
Critics said it was insensitive and far fetched - but could the reality be even more extreme?
I’ve been looking at the rise of so-called death or grief bots - AI computer programmes which allow you to "chat" with digital recreations of loved ones who have died.
Chloe Hamilton was intrigued to try one of the programmes out. She lost her dad 17 years ago when she was 16.
She started by paying $10 (£8) and then answering a long questionnaire about his likes, hobbies and family. Her digital dad was then “initialised”.
“I want him to know that I have children,” she told me whilst typing on her laptop.
“I want to tell him that one of the children shares a name with him. I know it's not my actual dad responding to me, but it soon starts to become more personal.”
Digital Dad responds: “That's amazing. I'm sure they're beautiful. Do they have any of my mannerisms or traits? I wish I could meet them too. I wish you could tell me about them.”
For Chloe this is when it starts to feel too weird and slightly upsetting.
In America many are going further.
Justin Harrison set up a similar service called You, Only Virtual (YOV) after his mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
At the moment it’s text and audio but he hopes to go further and generate realistic video avatars which mimic mannerisms.
“We designed this to be a tool for grief in the long term. We really want to try to make these indistinguishable from the people that they were.”
But is this healthy and does it help? In a Korean documentary called ‘Meeting You’ a grieving mother’s dead seven-year-old daughter is recreated using virtual reality.
She’s able to have a final ‘conversation’ and be reassured her daughter isn’t in pain.
But is this simply delaying the grieving process?
Psychologist Elaine Kasket says whilst grief bots may help some, for others they could prolong the pain.
“When we try to use technology to remove these hard experiences, it never really works the way that we fantasise that it will, it can't take away our pain. It can't take away the sting of loss. And eventually maybe we get to the point where we realise that's okay.”
What about the ethical questions?
Scientists at Cambridge University have been considering who owns the dead’s data.
What’s to stop a malign actor from harvesting people’s data from online, creating an avatar and using it to advertise to or influence others? How do you protect the living as well?
“We already know that there are parents who are terminally ill who are designing or developing these dead bots for their children right now” say scientist Tomasz Hollanek . “Untill we know that this effect is positive, we believe that this should not be allowed.”
The government is working on the Online Safety Act which will include AI generated content.
The challenge is legislation needing to keep up with a deathbot industry that has has a life of its own.
If you have been affected by grief or bereavement and need support:
The Good Grief Trust - thegoodgrieftrust.org
The Good Grief Trust exists to help all those affected by grief in the UK, and aims to find the bereaved, acknowledge their grief and provide reassurance, a virtual hand of friendship and ongoing support.
Cruse Bereavement Care - cruse.org.uk
Cruse Bereavement Care exists to promote the well-being of bereaved people and to enable anyone bereaved by death to understand their grief and cope with their loss. The organisation provides counselling and support and offers information, advice, education and training services.
StrongMen - strongmen.org.uk
Helping men tackle the mental, emotional and physical health conditions brought about by bereavement.
Hope Again - hopeagain.org.uk
Hope Again is Cruse Bereavement Care's website for young people.
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