'What's the first thing you say to someone that's dead?' This AI app lets you 'chat' with the deceased

Christi Angel just wanted to know if her first love was OK.

She had read about Project December — an app that uses AI to simulate the dead — in an article about a man conversing with his deceased girlfriend, so she decided to give it a try.

In this clip from the documentary Eternal You, Angel explains how she was too busy to respond to the last text she received from Cameroun before he slipped into a coma and eventually passed away. "So I made time and used the app," she said.

"What's the first thing you say to someone that's dead? 'Welcome back? Are you OK? Did you cross over OK? Did you go to the light? Are you happy? Do you feel better?'"

Angel was surprised to see how well the app was able to recreate Cameroun's personality, from his very specific taste in '90s R&B and gospel music to the style and vernacular of his text messages. According to Project December's co-creator Jason Rohrer, the app is an AI language model that requires very little information but has been trained on everything humans have written. A few quotes from an individual, or a few details about them, and the AI model can "simulate the dead."  

Angel's experience is just one example in Eternal You that depicts people's search for closure through AI. The documentary explores how new technology like Project December and VR Experiment, which creates a virtual avatar of deceased loved ones, can help people "connect with the dead." It also raises questions about the ethical consequences that can come with "death capitalism."

Where to watch Eternal You

Eternal You premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

Watch now on CBC Gem and the CBC Docs YouTube channel.