DADADEL
AI chatbots are increasingly being used by people to recreate and connect with deceased family members. Notably, inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil is leading these groundbreaking efforts.
The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) is stirring mixed emotions in many, with some feeling apprehensive and others embracing the new opportunities it presents. AI has expanded our capacity to comprehend and replicate what is considered “normal” or “ideal” across a myriad of contexts. This progressive technology has also given rise to unexpected and intriguing concepts.
One such concept is the utilization of AI chatbots to recreate and reanimate deceased loved ones. This unconventional application of AI is gaining traction, with an increasing number of individuals exploring the possibility of reconnecting with those they have lost.
Among those who are venturing into this uncharted territory is Ray Kurzweil, a prominent inventor and futurist. Kurzweil has embarked on a personal quest to “resurrect” his father, who tragically passed away when Kurzweil was just 22 years old.
This journey began over a decade ago and has been chronicled in a comic book authored by Kurzweil’s daughter, Amy. The story unfolds as Kurzweil endeavors to capture the essence of his father by inputting a trove of his father’s letters, essays, and musical compositions into an AI system.
Through this unconventional approach, Kurzweil hopes to recreate a digital “replica” of his father, a venture that raises profound questions about the nature of existence, memory, and the boundaries of technology.
However, his aspirations extend further as he envisions utilizing nanotechnology and his father’s preserved DNA to eventually resurrect his father. Currently, Kurzweil relies on the “dad bot,” a program or potentially a device that enables him to converse with his father.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Kurzweil shared: “I had a conversation with him, and it felt like talking to him.” Kurzweil foresees a more accessible version of the “dad bot” in the future, which could have profound implications for many individuals. The potential lies in maintaining connections with departed family members, open to anyone who seeks it.
Kurzweil predicts a future, by 2045, where individuals can merge their brains with machines, harboring grand aspirations for his father. In a groundbreaking notion, he speculates nanomachines could physically resurrect his father, challenging traditional concepts of life and death.
Kurzweil suggests the possibility of using DNA found around his father’s grave site as a wealth of information for this endeavor, stating, “The AI will send down some nanobots, get some bone or teeth, extract some DNA, and put it all together. Then they’ll get some information from my brain and anyone else who still remembers him.”
