The other day, I was talking to a friend about the phenomenal rise of AI. This is how our short conversation went.
“Would you want an AI persona of your mother who passed away?”
Without hesitation, they said yes. When I asked why, they explained that they would love to be able to ask her for advice.
From Sci-Fi to Reality
At first, this sounds like something straight out of sci-fi—Superman’s Fortress of Solitude comes to mind, where he speaks to an AI version of his late father, Jor-El. But the truth is, this idea isn’t science fiction anymore. It’s highly possible.
Think about it: devices like Alexa, Google Home, and Siri already listen to us constantly. Since they capture everything we say, they would have a massive database of our speech patterns, thoughts, and eventually our personality traits. Combine that with AI models like ChatGPT, which harness vast amounts of training data, and it’s easy to imagine a future where AI could recreate a version of us using our digital self —leveraging our digital footprints like blog posts, messages, recordings, and other content we’ve created.
The Big Question: Would you want to do this?
So the real question isn’t whether this is possible—it’s whether we would want to sign up for something like this.
I recently watched The Age of AI, a documentary hosted by Robert Downey Jr., where they explored this very concept. In one segment, will.i.am participated in creating an AI version of himself by recording various phrases and having his face digitally modeled. Over time, this AI version could answer questions and interact with people in a surprisingly realistic way.
Potential Benefits of AI Personas
The potential benefits of an AI persona are intriguing. Imagine having access to the wisdom of your ancestors—your grandparents, great-grandparents, and generations before them. It could be like an ever-present family mentor, helping you navigate life’s challenges.
There’s also a therapeutic angle: for those grieving, an AI version of a loved one might provide comfort, even if it’s just an illusion of connection. Talking to an AI could feel like opening up to someone who won’t judge you, allowing for more authenticity in conversations.
Ethical and Emotional Dilemmas
But this concept also raises deep ethical and emotional questions. On one hand, it’s a way to preserve wisdom and even stay connected to loved ones. On the other, it’s not really them—it’s a simulation based on data. Could it ever truly replace the presence of a real person and really capture all the attributes (eccentricities, flaws, quirks, personality traits, etc.) that makes us truly unique? And could we become too dependent on these digital ghosts, avoiding the natural process of grief and acceptance?
Extending to darker thoughts, those who’ve had troubling pasts with people would have those personas still “alive” (think murders who killed family members or friends).
The Desire for (Digital) Immortality
Then there’s the question of legacy. Many people have a strong, almost innate (?) desire to be remembered (or at least not forgotten). Some, like Michael Jackson (who was into preventing aging and dying) reportedly explored cryogenic freezing himself in hopes of extending their presence beyond death. AI personas might be the digital equivalent—an attempt to achieve a form of immortality.
People save heirlooms, old photos, old clothes…why? To preserve precious memories, stories of the lives of our relationships with those who mattered the most to us. My wife recently came across a website called Story Worth that encourages people (typically elderly family members) to document their life stories through guided questions, preserving their wisdom for future generations. It’s a thoughtful and meaningful way to pass down insights, and I could see an AI version of this could take it even further.
My Take on AI Personas
So where do I stand on this? For what I know now, I’d say yes—I’d want to create an AI version of myself. As a designer and advocate for technology, I’m so digitally biased (and usually not as scared about privacy issues as I probably should be). I see the value in passing down my hard earned lessons and perspectives to my children and their children – if they want to access it, it should be their inheritance.
In my opinion, in this rapidly changing AI infused world, the benefits of preserving knowledge and keeping a sense of connection outweigh the concerns about privacy, ego, or even 100% accuracy. At the end of the day, we all need someone to talk to. And if you can’t trust your family—even in AI form—who can you trust? Blood is blood, even if it’s an AI persona.