Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins/Futurism. Source: Getty Images
If a stranger told you that your grandmother was likely to live forever, would you accept it?
This may seem like a strange question, but it’s the question on which AI company 2wai is betting its entire existence. As Viewed by IndependentA recently released advertisement for 2wai, titled “Preserve Your Legacy”, has gone viral due to its depiction of a preserved grandmother as an AI avatar.
“He’s growing up, see?” A pregnant mother tells of her possibly dead mother, who appears as an AI character on her phone. “Oh darling, this is wonderful!” AI responds. “He’s listening – put your hand on his stomach and hum it. You loved it.”
The ad is basically showing off 2wai’s main product, HoloAvatar, which is as dystopian as it sounds. According to the company, HoloAvatars are AI representations of real-life people, brought to life through a large language model. At least it can be said that people were not impressed by this idea.
One viewer commented, “We will make what you are doing illegal.” Another quipped, “Missed the part where ‘Grandma’ stops working and asks them to upgrade to the premium version to keep the conversation going.”
2y | preserve your heritage
Although this particular ad shows HoloAvatars as a way to keep your loved ones safe after they pass away, that’s just one use case. The company says others include AI projections of fictional characters, historical figures, celebrities, and even “digital twins” who is billed as A holoavatar that “looks and talks like you, and even shares the same memories!”
“With the magic of AI, 2Y lets anyone talk to their favorite creators, brands, and characters in a virtual world that feels real,” the company’s website says. “Is one of you really enough?”
2Y was founded by Mason Geiger and Disney child star Calum Worthy. according to IndependentSpeaking to Geiger, Dadi’s ad was designed to attract people, following in the footsteps of AI hardware company, Friend.
“I really give Callum a lot of advice because we’ve put out a lot of different social media content over the last six months trying to promote the platform, and he really had this idea of: what if we go with a slightly more controversial idea?” the CEO told the publication. “And we tried to spark this kind of online debate between both sides, and they really did a great job of stirring up that controversy and getting it there.”
When asked if he would use his own product to preserve loved ones, Geiger said he sees it as a way to “carry on some of the good memories I had with my grandparents.”
Then this one’s for you: If you’ve ever wanted a way to poison the memory of your loved ones with a supernatural replicant, this product is for you.
More on death: You’ll Never Guess What This Startup Is Making Of Human Remains
