Monday, February 15, 2021

IN the NEWS - Techno-Spiritualism: Dadbot

  ...or one who inquires of the dead,...For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD..... Deuteronomy 18:11,12
Imagine what the opponent of God, the Prince of Persia, can do with/manipulate this?
 
"James Vlahos built a chatbot that responds like his dead father. Now he wants everyone else to have what he has — a lasting interactive memento of a dead loved one. 
Following his father's terminal lung cancer diagnosis, Vlahos compiled an oral history of his father's life. 

But he later took his recordings and turned them into a "Dadbot" — a text-based Siri that replied to queries with his father's familiar cadence.

Now Vlahos is expanding his ambition beyond just his father. He co-founded HereAfter in August, a company which promises to "capture the true spirit of people and to enable their stories to become immortal." ...The HereAfter was launched with a prototype called AndyBot, based on the still living screenwriter Andrew Kaplan.

Vlahos aims to make mombots, siblingbots, and friendbots — although whether these bots can truly represent a person's essence is debatable. Vlahos' Dadbot has limitations, and even today's more sophisticated bots, which have authentic sounding voices and animated bodies, rarely feel fully human. 

Chatbots today are more sophisticated than ever,....An Indian woman asked if he could make one of her deceased son. An Alaskan wanted to know if he could make one of himself for his children. 
"Imagine being able to stand in the kitchen and call out to your deceased mother and have her answer right back," Vlahos told the Washington Post.

One journalist at The Atlantic wrote that she found herself telling her Google Assistant that she felt lonely. The device replied:  "I wish I had arms so I could give you a hug." CBC