Griefbots and Doppls – exploring AI and humanity

Two recent innovations, griefbots and Doppls, have started to spark conversations around the boundaries of AI, its role in our lives, and the delicate balance between technology and human connection.

Understanding griefbots

China, which has rich traditions of ancestor worship and community support in times of grief, is witnessing a technological evolution in the way people navigate loss, with griefbots.

Griefbots, AI-powered chat programmes, are emerging as a means of bridging the gap between the living and the departed. Created by software engineer Yu Jialin after the passing of his grandfather, these generative AI bots, often powered by systems like ChatGPT, recreate the personalities and memories of loved ones who have passed away.

Unlike earlier iterations that demanded substantial datasets, the rapid advancement of generative AI enables individuals to create, or recreate, someone in a way that it never could before. By providing only small amounts of information such as letters, photos, videos, and text messages, users can train AI models to simulate the speech patterns and mannerisms of their loved ones.

And systems like ChatGPT, which are absorbing human expression more and more, contribute to creating replicas of the departed, giving the person grieving a sense that their lost loved one is still with them.

Seeing your digital-Doppl

On a parallel trajectory, Doppl, the brainchild of Thibault Launay, leverages AI's potential to shape a new dimension of human existence. Doppls are digital twins – sophisticated AI-generated replicas of individuals that reflect everything from their looks and voices to their communication styles.

Powered by Doppl's proprietary generative technology, these virtual counterparts are created from user data such as text exchanges, photos, audio notes, and videos. Designed to elevate a person’s quality of life – users delegate tasks to their AI replicas, allowing them to reclaim their own time back which may have otherwise been lost in carrying out mundane pursuits.

Programming parallels

• AI-generated replicas: both Doppl and griefbots involve the use of AI-generated replicas of individuals. Doppl focuses on creating interactive representations of individuals for various purposes, while griefbots aim to recreate the personalities and memories of deceased loved ones for conversation.
• Data-based learning: both technologies learn from data provided by the user. Doppl learns from text conversations, photos, audio notes, and videos, while griefbots are trained with tidbits of a person's past, including memorabilia, photos, recordings, and text messages.
• Personalised interaction: both Doppl and griefbots offer personalised interactions. Doppl allows users to delegate tasks to their AI twins, while griefbots allow users to have conversations with AI replicas of their loved ones.
• Emotional connection: both technologies aim to evoke emotional connections. Doppl provides a way for users to share an authentic part of themselves, while griefbots offer a means of communication and closure with deceased loved ones.
• AI advancements: both Doppl and griefbots leverage advancements in generative AI. Doppl uses proprietary generative technology to create AI versions of users, and griefbots take advantage of the rapid advancement of generative AI to recreate personalities with fewer data inputs.
• Ethical concerns: Both technologies raise ethical concerns. Doppl touches on the concept of using someone's likeness for various purposes, potentially raising issues of consent and privacy. Similarly, griefbots raise dilemmas regarding the use of a deceased person's identity and consent.
• Human-machine interaction: Both Doppl and griefbots represent examples of how humans are interacting with AI and technology in intimate and emotional ways, blurring the lines between human and machine relationships.

The parallels between griefbots and Doppls highlights the diverse ways in which AI is integrated into human lives. Both harness generative AI to recreate personas, with the former aiming to extend conversations across the realms and the latter targeting efficiency and self-representation. Yet, ethical considerations are a looming factor, and the very essence of using someone's identity posthumously raises complex questions of consent and privacy.

It is yet to be understood if these innovations truly reflect humanity's yearning for connection or efficiency, but they do underscore the ever-growing intricacy between technological advancement and human need, whether that is emotionally or practically.

However, as boundaries blur and technology progresses, these ventures should navigate the intricate territory where AI meets the heart with care, caution, and consideration.