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In 2016, James Vlahos discovered that his father was dying from terminal lung cancer.
Painfully aware that their time together was running out, Vlahos rushed to gather memories while he still could, recording his father’s life story; everything from childhood memories to his favourite sayings, songs and jokes.
Once transcribed, these recordings filled 200 single-spaced pages.
“It was a great, but inert resource, and I longed for something interactive. So I spent nearly a year programming a chatbot replica of my father: the ‘Dadbot,'” said Vlahos.
This “Dadbot” was able to revive his father’s stories via text messages, audio, images, and video, creating an interactive experience that emulated the unique nuances of an individual; of Vlahos’ dad.
While this artificial version could never replace Vlahos’ real father, it did give him some comfort – and a way to remember him more viscerally in the form of an AI afterlife.
It also inspired Vlahos to launch HereAfter AI, a US-based company that allows people to upload their memories, which are then turned into a “life story avatar” that can be communicated with by friends and family.
Unlike a dusty photo album or dormant Facebook profile, it’s a method of archiving a part of ourselves or those we love, that can actually be brought back to life.