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Startup Out of MIT Promises Digital Afterlife — Just Hand Over Your Data

Posted by timothy on from the ashes-to-ashes-dust-to-nsa dept.

v3rgEz writes "A new startup out of MIT offers early adopters a chance at the afterlife, of sorts: It promises to build an AI representation of the dearly departed based on chat logs, email, Facebook, and other digital exhaust generated over the years. "Eterni.me generates a virtual YOU, an avatar that emulates your personality and can interact with, and offer information and advice to your family and friends after you pass away," the team promises. But can a chat bot plus big data really produce anything beyond a creepy, awkward facsimile?"

9 of 241 comments (clear)

  1. Before death? by WPIDalamar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can I get this before I die? I hate talking with people sometimes.

    1. Re:Before death? by Ichijo · · Score: 4, Funny

      A chatty avatar version of me that keeps people on the phone as long as possible without committing to anything would be a great way to get telemarketers to stop calling. Maybe even better than Lenny. As a bonus, it would be seamless: just push a button in the middle of a conversation and the avatar would take over without the caller knowing.

      MIT, please make it happen.

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  2. Interesting. by Eric+S.+Smith · · Score: 5, Funny

    Tell me more about can a chat bot plus big data really produce anything beyond a creepy, awkward facsimile?

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    Mind the Gap
  3. Re:No. by SJHillman · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't know... most of the people I know that use Twitter and Facebook heavily have slightly less personality than most software.

  4. Awkward and Creepy? by Hatta · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, at least they can recreate the readership of /.

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  5. Re:All of this has happened before... by TWiTfan · · Score: 3, Funny

    I seem to recall a similar situation when someone tried creating such an avatar back on Caprica.

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  6. Re:No. by jdbuz · · Score: 5, Funny

    I just want it to keep updating my FB status with predetermined posts such as, "Wow! Who knew they had free Wi-Fi up here?"

  7. I am the Slashdotter,Please describe your problems by Dogtanian · · Score: 5, Funny

    An argument has been made (by both myself and others) that at least one slashdot user is a script already. Not necessarily an intelligent one, but a script nonetheless.

    Does it bother you that an argument has been made (by both yourself and others) that at least one slashdot user is a script already?

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  8. Re:No. by bob_super · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'll take "Cool, all the promiscuous girls are down here!"