With todays ever growing technology of artificial intelligence it is now possible to have the deceased virtually brought back to life through the creation of avatars, thus changing the ways in which we as humans mourn the death of our loved ones. With the help of AI, corporations are able to mimic conversation with the deceased, so for example, people can talk with the help of a hologram with those people who have died. This is done by providing the AI the information in the form of messages; text, E-mail, personality traits among others so that the AI mimics the communication pattern of the deceased.
A notable case is Service Story – the service where a person may record a video before their death is possible. These files are then used to engage with those in a funeral where questions from those in the funeral service can be answered by the AI system. Likewise, to expand the number of business ideas resembling Vint, Eternos also provides virtual afterlife communication by helping families interact with avatars of their deceased relatives after their passing.
While a number of people have reported being comforted by the artificial intelligence chats, some psychologists are concerned of the effects. Some people have opined that spending much time with these virtual personalities severs a person from the natural grieving process depriving people of ability to move on. As for the ethical issues, they are also quite questionable, especially in terms of privacy and permission. Some have concerns that their persons data would be used in ways they did not agree to or that without their consent, people can be recreated.
Lastly, it can be noted that in terms of metaphoric meanings implied in the penetration of AI into people’s lives, the concept of the possibility to call the dead to life can be considered to work as a beneficial effect in some cases and pose essential risks in others. Although it will enable human beings to keep their loved one’s memories and assist those suffering from loss, they bring about key moral dilemmas that the society must address. Thus, while staking out the new frontier in RO for wellness, there are social good things and there are potential ills, it is called for to ensure that these technologies are put to proper use.
