When she first spoke with her AI parents, Charlotte Jee was delighted. Her digital mom asked her how she was doing and told her a story from her childhood. Her dad recounted a similarly nostalgic tale and asked if she’d like to listen to another. But AI Jane and Paul were trapped in Charlotte’s phone, unable to squeeze her hand or give her present-day advice. AI Jane and Paul were, and still remain, virtual avatars that exist only in the HereAfter AI app.
HereAfter AI is one of the many innovative examples of grief tech, software and programs that input text information, Facebook messages or hours of interviews to create a digital replica of a loved one that can preserve their memories after death. Host Anita Rao discusses the fascinating world of grief tech with Charlotte, the news editor at MIT Technology Review, including the reasoning and ramifications behind her AI parent experiment and insights into the evolving landscape of mourning with machines.
Anita also talks with Dr. Alexis Elder, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Minnesota Duluth, about how this seemingly futuristic technology fits in with longstanding traditions around grief and mourning. Plus, Alexis explains how ancient Chinese philosophy can help us imagine potential use cases and goals for this new technology.
A special thank you to Dr. Stephenie Lucas Oney for contributing to this episode!
