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With “thanabots,” ChatGPT is making it possible to talk to the dead
Summary
ChatGPT is a large language model that is making it possible to digitally resurrect the dead in the form of "thanabots": chatbots trained on data of the deceased. A program called Project December allows users to input information about a person and have a custom chatbot created for them based on that person. Big tech companies may create and sell thanabots in the coming years. There are potential benefits and downsides to thanabots, and the technology could create a fascinating new era in which death may not be as final as it once was.
Q&As
What is ChatGPT and what does it do?
ChatGPT is an AI program called a large language model that is trained on more than 300 billion words from all sorts of sources on the Internet. It responds to prompts from humans by predicting the word it should use next based on both its training and the prompt.
What is Project December and how does it work?
Project December is a website that allows paying customers to input all sorts of data and information and make their own personalized chatbots, even ones based upon deceased friends and family.
What are the potential benefits and downsides of thanabots?
The potential benefits of thanabots include providing more suitable support for those grieving, allowing for alternative forms of estate management, and contributing to meaningful cultural understandings of death. The potential downsides include the thanabot not accurately representing the person it was made to mimic, and not providing the catharsis that users might hope for, and instead intensifying feelings of grief and despair.
What data do companies like Facebook, Google, Apple, and Microsoft store?
Companies like Facebook, Google, Apple, and Microsoft store heaps of our digital communications.
How may thanabots contribute to meaningful cultural understandings of death?
Thanabots may contribute to meaningful cultural understandings of death by providing more suitable support for those grieving, allowing for alternative forms of estate management, and providing a way to commune with the dead.
AI Comments
👍 This article provides an interesting insight into a new technology that could revolutionize the way we cope with death and could provide solace for those mourning the loss of a loved one.
👎 This technology could potentially lead to unrealistic expectations of the deceased and may not be able to provide the same level of comfort that a real person could.
AI Discussion
Me: It's about a new technology called "thanabots", which are chatbots designed to mimic the data of deceased people. Companies like Facebook, Google, Apple, and Microsoft have access to people's digital data, so they may be able to create and sell these thanabots in the future.
Friend: That's really interesting! It sounds like it could have a lot of potential, but also a lot of ethical implications.
Me: Definitely. It could provide comfort to those who have lost loved ones, but there are also potential risks, such as the thanabots not accurately representing the deceased, or intensifying feelings of grief. It's definitely a technology that needs to be carefully considered.
Action items
- Research the ethical implications of thanabots and digital resurrection.
- Explore the potential benefits and drawbacks of thanabots.
- Consider the implications of large tech companies creating and selling thanabots.
Technical terms
- Thanabots
- Chatbots trained on data of the deceased.
- Large Language Model
- An AI program trained on more than 300 billion words from all sorts of sources on the Internet.
- Project December
- A website that allows paying customers to input all sorts of data and information and make their own personalized chatbots, even ones based upon deceased friends and family.
- Thanatology
- The scientific study of death.
- Digital Estate Planning
- The process of planning or consenting to the creation of one's own thanabot.