A hologram of a deceased loved one at a funeral, we know that by now. But ask the hologram questions and then get an answer? New technology allowed a deceased woman in the UK to talk to her loved ones at a gathering shortly after her cremation.
In July, Marina Smith, who passed away in June at the age of 87, appeared on a screen at a gathering. She gave a short speech, after which grieving relatives could ask all kinds of questions to Smith’s digital clone, report British media. The hologram was created by the StoryFile company, of which Smith’s son, Stephan Smith, is co-founder and CEO.
The questions were recorded early this year, when Marina Smith was still alive, using a computer and a webcam. Among other things, she answered questions about her childhood. “This brought up difficult topics. Such as her parents’ divorce and life as an immigrant from India,” her son told the British newspaper The Telegraph. “The next of kin were amazed at my mother’s newfound honesty at the meeting.” Marina Smith was always ashamed of her past. “But when asked about this, she told us about her childhood in India, which we knew nothing about.”
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Relatives were amazed at my mother’s new honesty during the meeting
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As of this week, the new technology is available in the United Kingdom. In a more expensive version of StoryFile, the interview is recorded with twenty synchronized cameras. Experts then process the material to train the digital clone of the deceased. This is necessary for the hologram to answer questions in ‘natural language’.
Unlike deepfake videos, the system does not put words in the mouth of the digital clone. If he or she does not have an answer, he will encourage the next of kin to ask another question.
The British company previously partnered with Star Trekactor William Shatner. With his hologram, the British actor wants to preserve his legacy for generations to come.
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