When we love someone, our brain forms an everlasting belief that our beloved will always be in the world somewhere, either returning to us or being found by us. This belief can be seen in examples such as parabonded birds, like the Emperor Penguin, who sits on the egg for a month while their partner goes out to fish. Despite the challenges and hardships faced, the penguin holds on to the enduring belief that their partner will return. This belief is vital for the survival of their offspring. In addition, when we experience the death of a loved one, our brain acknowledges the permanent absence through memory and knowledge, but the everlasting belief in attachment remains intact.
When Justin’s mom was diagnosed with cancer, he knew he wanted to keep talking to her after she died. So together they made an AI version of her, training it on her speech patterns and memories. Now he is scaling his findings so that anyone can continue their relationships with loved ones after their deaths. Justin even believes this can one day lead to digital immortality.
Grief experts are only now dealing with bereaved people who create digital versions of their loved ones. We look at what they say about the phenomenon, and what philosophers think about whether the best AI version of a person can actually be them.
Co-produced with Alexandra Salmon, guests include Justin Harrison, CEO of You, Only Virtual, Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor, and Dr. Debra Bassett.
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