A South Korean company is now developing an app that would allow users to create virtual avatars of their friends, relative or even strangers. But what’s more creepy is that the app also lets users take selfies with these avatars and talk to them when their relatives or friends are away or dead.
“With Me”, showcased this week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, uses 3-D photo-realistic technology and artificial intelligence to help recreate the image and persona of a relative, friend, or even a celebrity allowing users to have conversations with them. The users can tell the avatars things such as “I love you,” and the avatar can reply with, “I love you, too.”
Avatars will also respond to certain face expressions when taking selfies and recognise the emotional change. If you were to pucker up, the avatar will turn to the side and pretend to kiss you. If you were to open your mouth in disbelief, the avatar would do the same.
Speaking to Vocativ, Elrois spokesperson, Eunjin Lim said, “Users put personal information when starting this app, the avatars remember the user from that time and recognises if there’s some change in appearance and emotion, and mentions it, such as ‘you look younger today, what is your secret?’”
Talking to the dead might sound creepy for some users, however, developers of the app say that it is targeted towards people who have had a loss in their family. “We think the avatars can be the new way to overcome their wounded heart with a good function of new technology. That also means it can be definitely be used for various healthcare fields,” Lim says.
The app is in its early stages and requires people to visit a 3-D scanning photo booth in order to create their avatar. Elrois hopes the app will be more accessible in the future, as phones include 3-D scanning technology.
“Some people told us that our app reminds them of ‘Black Mirror,’” Lim said. “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 try to move on.”
COURTESY VOCATIV
