Using A.I. to Talk to the Dead

Dr. Stephenie Lucas Oney, a 75-year-old woman, uses an AI app called HereAfter to hear her deceased father’s advice and experiences. In his lifetime, William Lucas worked as a police officer, F.B.I. agent, and judge. He shared his insights in interviews before his death in May 2022 with HereAfter. The app generates responses in his voice, providing comfort to Dr. Oney and preserving his perspective for her children and grandchildren. 

However, the use of AI technology for communication with the deceased raises ethical questions and leaves some users feeling unsettled. Similar technologies like StoryFile, producing interactive videos, also aim to capture and replicate personal narratives.

For more information see Rebecca Carballo “Using AI to Talk to the Dead”, The New York Times, December 11, 2023.

Special thanks to Lewis Saret (Attorney, Washington, D.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.