A Growing Number Of People Are Turning To AI To Talk To Their Dead Loved Ones, And Trying To Live Forever

Last year The WinePress reported how Amazon Alexa would allow users to upload the voices of deceased loved ones, so the AI could respond in that voice and carry on conversations as if it were actually them. This new upgrade was designed to give Alexa more “human traits,” because, “in these times of the ongoing pandemic when so many of us have lost someone we love,” Amazon’s chief Alexa AI scientist and Senior Vice President Rohit Prasad said last year.

Since then a rise in people around the world are using identical apps and devices in order to replicate talking to those they love. Last week The New York Times did a story on this steadily growing trend, in a piece titled, “Using artificial intelligence to talk to the dead.”

‘Some people are turning to AI technology as a way to commune with the dead, but its use as part of the mourning process has raised ethical questions while leaving some who have experimented with it unsettled,’ The NYT wrote.

The report began with highlighting the life of Dr. Stephenie Lucas Oney (75), who uses HereAfter AI to listen to her father’s advice. The app uses AI to generate responses based on hours of material of her dad provided to the algorithm.

I want the children to hear all of those things in his voice, and not from me trying to paraphrase, but to hear it from his point of view, his time and his perspective.

Oney said

HereAfter AI was created in 2019 but is not the only app providing people to pretend they are chatting with deceased relatives.

StoryFile was released two years prior, which generates a talking similitude of the dead person, allowing users to input memories and responses of someone, and then the AI takes that and recreates a mirror image of the individual.

Even though the concept is growing people are still generally creeped out about it. James Vlahos, a co-founder of HereAfter AI, told the NYT, “People are squeamish about death and loss. It could be difficult to sell because people are forced to face a reality they’d rather not engage with.”

But people like Dr. David Spiegel, the associate chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Stanford School of Medicine, think there are benefits to the apps for those grieving or wanting to reflect back on old memories. “The crucial thing is keeping a realistic perspective of what it is that you’re examining — that it’s not that this person is still alive, communicating with you, but that you’re revisiting what they left,” he said.

A number of other outlets have highlighted this new artificial reality. Before the NYT’s report Euro News ran one of their own titled, “The rise of ‘grief tech’: AI is being used to bring the people you love back from the dead.”

Also earlier this month, France 24 reported: “Chinese mourners use AI to digitally resurrect the dead.”

The article begins by following Seakoo Wu, a father grieving the death of his son (who died of a “sudden stroke,” the report says), who placed a phone on his son’s gravestone, which then played generated messages from his son via artificial intelligence.

I know you’re in great pain every day because of me, and feel guilty and helpless. Even though I can’t be by your side ever again, my soul is still in this world, accompanying you through life.

The faux Xuanmo said, the name of the deceased child.

Desperate to reunite with his son one day, Wu wishes to create an extremely detailed AI model of his son so he can continue to talk to him as normal.

Once we synchronize reality and the metaverse, I’ll have my son with me again. I can train him… so that when he sees me, he knows I’m his father.

Wu said

France 24 wrote: ‘Some Chinese firms claim to have created thousands of “digital people” from as little as 30 seconds of audiovisual material of the deceased. […] Several companies specializing in so-called “ghost bots” have emerged in the United States in recent years. But the industry is booming in China, according to Zhang Zewei, the founder of the AI firm Super Brain and a former collaborator with Wu.’

Super Brain charges around 10,000 to 20,000 yuan ($1,400-$2,800) to generate a basic avatar within about three weeks.

Sima Huapeng, who founded Nanjing-based Silicon Intelligence, claimed the technology would “bring about a new kind of humanism.”

In September, CBC reported: “Some Canadians are using AI simulations to reconnect with their deceased loved ones.” Their report highlighted how some have trained Chat-GPT to emulate the responses of their deceased loved ones. Some found their interactions with it “eerie,” but others find it beneficial.

If that’s a way for someone … to be able to have their loved one’s presence or their person’s presence in their life, and that supports that and that helps them, then I think that that’s fabulous.

Chris Zuger, the Wilfrid Laurier University associate professor, said

Earlier this year PIX 11 posited the idea that “you could live forever” by translating your unique memories, images, and sayings into an AI algorithm.

---

AUTHOR COMMENTARY

Solomon said it best:

[9] The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. [10] Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. [11] There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

Ecclesiastes 1:9-11

All this is is simply necromancy and communing with familiar spirits, something the scriptures make very plain is to be avoided and condemned, and is an abomination in God’s sight. No more need for the Ouija boards, crystal balls, angel cards: now you can just use some app on a smart device. Again, there is no new thing under the sun; though, ghost hunters have been using all sorts of modern high-tech to chat with spirits for a while now.

[10] There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, [11] Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. [12] For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

[19] And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? [20] To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12; Isaiah 8:19-20

A loyal reader posted a real good verse today on another article, that fits right in with all this AI idolatry that we keep seeing, and is befitting here as well:

For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd.

Zechariah 10:2

So, beyond the idolatry and this high-tech sorcery we see on display, something else these tech people and the media have all repeatedly emphasized is this idea of living forever. Therefore, they somehow think that even though the person is dead, can no longer feel or know anything – as the soul has left the body and went to one of two places, as has the spirit – they still think that by preserving random access memories (a new form of RAM on a computer I suppose), that keeps them alive. Nice try, but no enchilada.

[5] For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. [6] Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 9:5-6

You see, the lost world is looking to cheat death and circumvent the truth of God’s word, and trying to side skirt having to stand before a holy, righteous God in judgment. Again, observe:

[5] But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; [6] Who will render to every man according to his deeds: [7] To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: [8] But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, [9] Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; [10] But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: [11] For there is no respect of persons with God.

Romans 2:5-11

The problem is all are guilty and sinners before the Lord without hope, and therefore guaranteed condemnation and damnation. Therefore, you need the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ to give you a new life, to redeem you, to be born again. You want TRUE immortality? It will come through Jesus Christ; not AI, not cloning, not incubation, but Jesus Christ the Lord of glory.

[9] Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, [10] But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

2 Timothy 1:9-10

SEE: The Forgotten Verses Of Salvation

---

[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).

The WinePress needs your support! If God has laid it on your heart to want to contribute, please prayerfully consider donating to this ministry. If you cannot gift a monetary donation, then please donate your fervent prayers to keep this ministry going! Thank you and may God bless you.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE