The Los Angeles-based startup 2Wai has launched the HoloAvatar mobile app, enabling users to create interactive digital avatars of deceased family members. According to Interesting Engineering, this application has rapidly gained popularity on social media.
A promotional video released by co-founder Calum Worthy went viral, amassing over 28 million views on platform X.
The video illustrates a pregnant woman communicating through her phone with the avatar of her deceased mother. It further depicts the avatar reading a bedtime story to a baby, and later, a school-aged child converses with the digital "grandmother" on the way home. The video concludes with the adult son informing the avatar that she will become a great-grandmother.
To create the AI avatar, one must scan a person using a smartphone camera. Once set up, users can converse with the twin, as HoloAvatar mimics human communication through voice, facial expressions, and gestures.
The app is available in the App Store under the name HoloAvatar. According to the company, the created images "look and speak like you, and can also recall memories." Worthy stated that the platform forms a "living archive of humanity" and encouraged users to try the beta version. An Android version is also expected to be released soon.
The launch of the service has sparked active discussions. Some commentators on social media have labeled the technology as "disturbing" and "unacceptable," referring to the developer as a "psychopath." The app has often been compared to an episode of "Black Mirror" where a grieving woman utilizes an AI copy of her deceased partner. Others argue that the program might distort the grieving process.
Critics highlight the risks of replacing real sorrow with artificial comfort and raise ethical questions regarding the use of such technologies. Meanwhile, some users positively evaluate the ability to preserve the voices and stories of loved ones.
The debate surrounding the app also touches on broader issues regarding the development of artificial intelligence. Experts warn that advancements in robotics could make physical versions of such avatars possible, raising questions about identity, consent, and the commercialization of grief.
Currently, the app continues to spread among users, and discussions about its impact on memory and the grieving process remain ongoing and lively.
