Context :
Grief
tech: Therapists say AI, deepfake replicas of lost loved ones can help cope
with loss
( Arabian Business / 18
May 2023 )
Extract :
People are turning to generative AI and deepfake technology as a means of preserving cherished memories and coping with the death of their
loved ones.
The advent of these tools has
allowed people to recreate digital
replicas of the deceased, enabling a virtual
reunion of sorts that may offer them some solace – a novel approach to
navigate the complexities of grief.
Through machine learning algorithms, generative AI models analyse an
extensive database of images and videos to extract patterns and facial features
unique to the departed friend or family member. These virtual replicas of the dead can then be programmed to mimic
speech, expressions and mannerisms, providing a remarkable resemblance of the
person who has passed away.
However, with the prospect of immortalising a passed on loved one with
deepfake technology by feeding AI with datasets of memories, images, and videos
to create a digital version of them,
it brings to question whether this is a healthy coping mechanism.
“Grief is an
internal experience of loss consisting of a highly complex set of thoughts and
feelings and is an instinctive human response. While there are stages of grief,
we do not experience the stages in a linear manner, nor will we experience all
stages or in the same manner as someone else,” Tanya Dharamshi, Counselling Psychologist
and Lead Community Services at Lighthouse Arabia’s Raymee Grief Centre in
Dubai, told Arabian Business.
“AI may impact the grieving process and prolong the acceptance of the
death by providing an alternate reality of the deceased.”
While the use of deepfake tech has raised concerns
over potential misuse, particularly when it comes to scams, experts believe
that in the realm of grief and healing,
these tools can be quite transformative.
Those grappling with the profound pain of loss may be able to find solace and closure,
allowing them to,
# hear
their voice once more,
# see their smile,
and
# experience
a virtual connection
-
that might ease the ache of
absence and offer them a chance to
express unfinished conversations or seek closure.
However, as this emerging trend gains momentum in the
age of AI, ethical considerations arise.
Balancing the potential benefits and drawbacks of such tools is
crucial because grief is a deeply personal journey that must be approached with
caution and sensitivity.
“Using AI to
recreate a deepfake animation or a time-progressed image of the deceased
might be helpful for some of the persons left behind – or not,” said Simoglou.
“If they feel that these AI products help them process and deal
with their loss, then the use of AI might be considered as a coping mechanism.”
Simoglou said she would recommend the use of AI for grief
therapy, but only after the person has “fully acknowledged and accepted their
loss, and they are not living in denial.”
Denial is a normal part of the grieving process, she explained.
“When grieving, we might see a person alternate between states
of denial and states of acceptance. Deepfakes can cause a person to act or feel as the deceased is still
there, thus feed into the state of denial and have the potential to keep the
grieving person stuck there,” she added.
“Healing and reinvesting life with the living comes from
acceptance of loss.”
“As human species, we
need positive meaningful relationships,” said Dharamshi.
“AI only
provides what we feed it – our version of the memories,
thoughts and images. It can be useful for those of us who need to gain closure
through expression of held emotions and therefore used as a traditional tool
for interim coping.”
Dharamshi explained that using such tools for interim coping
should be used with the intention of ensuring the person grieving eventually
comes to a place of acceptance.
AI and
the future of grief therapy
As generative AI and
deepfake technology continue to evolve and seep their way into the mainstream
in all areas of life, the power of these tools to reshape the grieving process cannot be
understated, making way for new use cases in grief therapy.
Simoglou suggested that AI-generated time-progressed images of
deceased youth might be a new use case in the field of grief therapy.
“Being able to see what a person would look like had they gotten
the chance to grow old, deepfake animations or metaverse characters, seem like
different applications of AI to grief.
“As technology becomes more prevalent in all fields, recreated
images of deceased individuals might feel less and less uncanny. They might
become a way to keep alive an imagined version of the deceased and remain
connected to them, and although not tangible, that recreation might feel
soothing and comforting.”
Although this seems like an easy way to bring someone back
from the dead, Dharamshi said that creating AI avatars of deceased
persons by using images and videos of their personal and private memories
without their consent raises privacy and ethical concerns.
Simoglou agreed, advising people to let their emotions “flow freely” without trying to
censor them.
“The more an emotion is suppressed, the more it craves
recognition and it aggravates.
Talk about the deceased as frequently as you need to, find ways to
keep their memory alive, give yourself time to reflect on your loss and be patient,
and keep up with your self-care and exercise routine.
MY TAKE :
https://www.hemenparekh.ai/ ……… launched 10 Feb
2023
Extract :
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You can start a chat by asking:
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extract :
Paro , a robot baby seal marketed by Japanese company, Intelligent System
Co Ltd , acts as a therapeutic machine to soothe elderly dementia sufferers
Toyota, sees its own robot , Kirobo Mini as a stepping stone to more advanced
robots that will be able to recognize and react to human emotions "
Do Indian Start-Ups see an
opportunity here for offering to the World's frustrated / depressed / dejected
millions , an online / profitable " Social Service " managed by real humans , with whom , no
robot , however advanced , can compete ?
They should have absolutely no doubt
re the viability of such " Service
Offering " , after reading my following blog
And what better choice of a day than
today - The World Mental Health
Day - to offer to the World , some
" Not-So-Robot "
sympathizing friends !
Highlights ( For details, read this blog ) :
( A ) VEHICLE
( B ) USERS
( C ) REGISTRATION
FORM
( D ) SEARCHING
DATABASE OF LISTENERS
( E ) SERVICE
CHARGE
( F ) PAYMENT
MECHANISM
( G ) PROCESS
( H ) REPUTATION
SYSTEM
( I ) USAGE
HISTORY
( J ) PRIVACY
( K ) PROMOTING
THE SERVICE
( L ) BUSINESS
MODEL
Extract :
Former Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata, who has been an active backer of
startups, has announced an investment in startup Goodfellows.
The startup offers companionship to senior citizens as a
service.
Goodfellows was founded by Shantanu Naidu [ shantanu@tatatrust.org ]
At the launch of Goodfellows, Ratan Tata said, “You do not know what it is like to be lonely until you spend time alone wishing for
companionship."
Speaking at the
launch, Ratan Tata said no one cares about getting old until they actually get
old.
Addressing Ratan Tata as a boss, a mentor and also a friend,
founder Shantanu
Naidu said there are 50 million old
people who are living by
themselves and have no one to share their lives with.
Goodfellows [
+91,87795,24307 / contact@goodfellows.in ],
- hires
youngsters who have the skills of empathy and emotional intelligence to work as
the companions of senior citizens. They are also required to ease their day or help
them with any task.
Shantanu Naidu said
it wants to scale up across the country but would prefer to go slow without
compromising on the quality of the
companions it hires
Ratan Tata said he would be delighted for this
service to grow and mature into something which innovatively changes people’s lives.
Dear BARD :
Here are two , somewhat
related , situations , viz :
# Millions of very lonely OLD
persons around the World, wanting someone to talk to . Since, there are just a
few young “ volunteers “ , to reach out to such old persons PHYSICALLY and “
Talk – Listen “ , I have envisaged and suggested an ONLINE PLATFORM , which can
, cater to a million SIMULTANEOUS interactions
# A few persons ( Old or Young )
, who have lost a loved one ( could be Old or Young ), wanting to “ recreate “
using DEEPFAKE and AI , their DIGITAL AVATARS, and draw solace from this “ make
believe “ world
It is not a question of “
either or “ ( mutual exclusivity ). Both approaches have their pluses and
minuses
Even then , which one do
you believe is more urgently needed ? Which would benefit the Society ?
You may want to TABULATE
your comments by comparing these two methods and listing their benefits and
shortcomings
This
is how BARD replied :
Sure, here is a table comparing the
two methods:
|
Method
|
Benefits
|
Shortcomings
|
|
Online platform for talking to lonely old people
|
* Can reach millions of people simultaneously. *
Can provide companionship and support to those who are isolated. * Can be a
cost-effective way to provide social services.
|
* Can be difficult to find enough volunteers to
staff the platform. * The quality of the interactions may vary depending on
the volunteers. * The platform may not be able to provide the same level of
intimacy and connection as a face-to-face interaction.
|
|
Digital avatars of deceased loved ones
|
* Can provide a way to connect with loved ones
who have passed away. * Can help people to grieve and to process their loss.
* Can be a source of comfort and support.
|
* The avatars may not be realistic or accurate
representations of the deceased. * The use of avatars may prolong the
grieving process or prevent people from moving on. * There are ethical
concerns about the use of personal data to create avatars.
|
Which method is
more urgently needed?
The need for both methods is urgent,
but the online platform for talking to lonely old people is likely to have a
greater immediate impact. There are millions of lonely old people around the
world who are in need of companionship and support. The online platform could
provide them with a way to connect with others and to feel less isolated.
Which method would
benefit society more?
Both methods could benefit society,
but the digital avatars of deceased loved ones could have a more long-term
impact. The avatars could help people to grieve and to process their loss in a
healthy way. They could also provide a way to keep the memories of loved ones
alive.
I believe that both methods are
valuable and that they could be used together to provide a more comprehensive
approach to helping people who are grieving or who are lonely. The online
platform could provide immediate support, while the digital avatars could
provide long-term support.
I also believe that it is important
to be aware of the potential shortcomings of both methods. The online platform
could be difficult to staff, and the quality of the interactions may vary. The
digital avatars may not be realistic or accurate representations of the
deceased, and there are ethical concerns about the use of personal data to
create them.
Despite these shortcomings, I believe
that both methods have the potential to make a positive impact on the lives of
people who are grieving or who are lonely. I hope that they will be developed
and used in a way that maximizes their potential benefits.
And here is how ChatGPT
replied to the same prompt :
Apologies for the formatting issue.
Here is the corrected version:
|
Online Platform for Loneliness
|
Deepfake for Grief Therapy
|
|
Benefits
|
- Provides a platform for millions of lonely individuals to connect and
talk with others.
|
- Allows individuals to recreate digital
replicas of their lost loved ones.
|
|
- Overcomes physical limitations by allowing simultaneous interactions.
|
- Enables a virtual reunion that may
offer solace and closure.
|
|
-
Offers a chance for old persons to share their thoughts, feelings, and
experiences.
|
- Allows people to hear the voice, see
the smile, and have a virtual connection with the deceased.
|
|
- Helps alleviate loneliness and provides companionship.
|
- Provides an opportunity for unfinished
conversations and seeking closure.
|
|
- Provides an outlet for emotional expression and connection.
|
|
|
Shortcomings
|
- Relies on volunteers, and there may be a shortage of young volunteers
to physically reach out to the elderly.
|
- Raises ethical concerns regarding
consent, privacy, and the potential for prolonging the acceptance of death.
|
|
- May not fully replicate the experience of in-person interactions.
|
- Can lead to an alternate reality of
the deceased, potentially inhibiting the acceptance of loss.
|
|
|
- Deepfakes may feed into denial and
keep the grieving person stuck in that state.
|
|
|
- Does not address the core healing
process and acceptance of loss.
|
|
Urgency
|
Both
approaches are valuable and cater to different needs.
|
Both approaches are valuable and cater
to different needs.
|
|
- The online platform for loneliness is urgently needed to address the
isolation and lack of companionship experienced by millions of lonely elderly
individuals.
|
- Deepfake for grief therapy can provide
solace and closure to individuals grieving the loss of a loved one.
|
|
Societal Benefit
|
- Helps combat loneliness, which can have negative effects on mental and
physical health.
|
- Offers a novel approach to navigating
the complexities of grief and provides a potential source of comfort and
closure for grieving individuals.
|
|
- Fosters social connections and reduces feelings of isolation.
|
- May assist in the healing process and
allow individuals to express emotions and reflect on their loss.
|
In this updated comparison, the
benefits and shortcomings of both approaches are listed, and the table provides
a fair assessment of their respective advantages and considerations
With regards,
Hemen Parekh
www.hemenparekh.ai / 14
July 2023
