The speaker reflects on the idea of leaving behind avatars for grieving loved ones. Despite the potential comfort it may bring to young children or those who have lost parents at a young age, there are concerns about whether it might impede the grieving process. The speaker shares a personal story of losing their mother at a young age and questions if hearing her voice again through an avatar would have been helpful or detrimental. They also ponder if interacting with a simulation of a deceased spouse would prevent them from seeking human connections. The speaker emphasises the importance of considering what someone would want versus what is actually beneficial for them in such situations.
Would an AI simulation of your dead loved one be a blessing or an abomination? And if you knew that after your own death, your loved ones would create a simulation of you, how would that knowledge change the way you choose to live today? These are some of the questions psychologist Paul Bloom discusses with EconTalk's Russ Roberts as we stand on the threshold of digital immortality.