A South Korean firm has unveiled an app that allows
users to snap selfies and chat with avatars of their dead friends or family
members in a bid to help mourners 'overcome their wounded-heart'.
Called ‘With Me’, the app combines 3D technology and
artificial intelligence to recreate the image and personality of those who have
passed away. 'With Me' is the brainchild of ELROIS, a firm that specializes in
photo-realistic 3D avatar solutions.
‘It was designed for those who lost a friend or
family member and are having trouble moving on,' an ELROIS spokesperson told
DailyMail.com in an email.
‘Some people told us that our app reminds of 'Black
Mirror'.
‘However, when we think about the reason why we take
a picture or video, I could say, people want to leave their memories by what we
can see forever.'
‘Also, people do everything to remember some
precious person to them, or will do anything to move on.’
‘3D photo-realistic avatar is based on the actual
person and it has some interaction with the users, so we think the avatars can
be the new way to overcome their wounded-heart with a good function of new
technology.’
It does that by creating what it calls avatars of
people. Those are really 3D models that are animated and use technologies to
respond to conversation and move around. The company is apparently happy to let
users create avatars of people that haven't necessarily given permission.
“Avatars could be your family, friends, or even celebrities!” its tagline
reads.
And they can then be used to do strange things. If
you say "I love you" to the virtual character, for instance, it will
reply back to say the same thing. It will also copy its users' movements.
It will even scan the face of a user, and look to
see if they look different or if their emotional state has changed. That way,
it will be able to tell if someone looks more sad than usual and attempt to
comfort them, its creators claim.
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