AI chatbots have emerged as a significant presence across various industries, revolutionising user interactions with technology. Recent reports indicate that this technological surge has given rise to AI companions—virtual boyfriends and girlfriends—for those seeking companionship or emotional support.
A poignant example comes from Germany, where a woman utilized AI to engage in conversation with her deceased mother, bridging a four-year gap since her passing.
Sirine Malas, an actress living in Berlin, Germany, expressed her struggle to find solace after her mother’s passing in 2018 due to kidney failure. Despite the emotional void, she discovered a unique way to maintain a connection: using technology to converse with her late mother.
Malas, an actress residing in Berlin, Germany, sought solace by turning to Project December, an AI tool that uniquely claims to “simulate the dead.” This groundbreaking system utilizes patent-pending technology, enabling text-based conversations with individuals, even those who have passed away.
Through this innovative approach, Sirine found a way to connect with her late mother, bridging the gap between the living and the departed.
The Project December utilizes deep AI, powered by one of the world’s most sophisticated supercomputers, to achieve its unique purpose. Through this cutting-edge technology, it simulates text-based conversations with individuals, even those who are no longer living.
When someone visits the Project December website, they encounter a form that prompts them to provide various details. These fields include their name, age, and their relationship to the user. These personal details are then used to tailor the communication and create a more personalized experience.
“I wanted that last chance (to speak to her),” Sky News quoted Malas as saying.
The responses from users are input into an AI chatbot, which utilizes OpenAI’s GPT-2, an earlier version of the large language model that underpins ChatGPT. This chatbot then constructs a personalized profile based on the information provided by the user.
Even amidst the surreal exchanges, Sirine, who identifies as a spiritual individual, perceived the chatbot as a bridge—a means to connect with her mother.
“There were moments that I felt were very real. There were also moments where I thought anyone could have answered that this way,” she explained.
“My mum could drop a few words in telling me that it’s really me or it’s just someone pretending to be me – I would be able to tell. And I think there were moments like that,” she added.
Indeed, these models are often trained using a diverse range of textual sources, including books, articles, and internet content. This extensive training enables them to generate contextually relevant and human-like responses.
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