A man with cancer created an AI copy of himself so his wife could communicate with him after his death

By: Elena Shcherban | 17.06.2024, 00:37
A man with cancer created an AI copy of himself so his wife could communicate with him after his death

Someone leaves a house or other property as an inheritance after their death, and German resident Michael Bommer left his AI copy.

Details

A few years ago, Michael was diagnosed with colon cancer. Doctors told him that it was incurable and the man didn't have long to live. His wife Anett once complained that she would miss talking to her husband and his advice.

So the company Eternos.Life created an AI copy for Michael. It's an artificial intelligence that speaks in a man's voice, learns his mannerisms and behaviour and tries to carry on conversations the way Michael would.

Normally this would take months to do, but that's time the man unfortunately doesn't have, so the developers only had to teach the AI for a few days. Bommer voiced and recorded about 300 sentences for the AI to memorise his voice and intonations, as well as telling 150 stories from his life from his younger years. Among other things, he left some advice for his children and grandchildren.

Now, after her husband's death, Anette will be able to "communicate" with him with the help of AI: for example, to remember some stories from his life, the circumstances of their meeting and even ask for advice.

Michael himself considers the AI copy as a digital memoir. And his wife says that if she finds it hard to hear her husband's voice, she will simply stop using AI.

Source: The Jacksonville Journal-Courier