Nominated for Best Documentary Feature
Q&A with Director Hans Block
Can a digital entity compensate for the loss of a loved one? Following tech start-ups developing ‘digital doppelgangers,’ with the help of AI and Big Data, Eternal You examines the story of people who live on as digital replicants in the pockets of their loved ones.
A nuanced, sensitive and timely documentary, Eternal You explores the ethical issues presented by the fledgling digital afterlife industry. It’s a business which aims to bring comfort to the recently bereaved, a business which claims that artificial intelligence can help human beings to process that most personal of experiences: grief.
Using images, voice recordings and written content, AI can now create a digital avatar of the deceased, with whom their bereaved family and friends can interact. This film follows a handful of people using this technology in attempt to come to terms with the loss of a loved one. The results are by turns fascinating, poignant and disturbing.
After initially finding solace, one user is unnerved when the avatar of her deceased boyfriend informs her that he’s gone to Hell. The digital afterlife business is still in its infancy, throwing up issues that not even its creators saw coming, raising questions about whether it should be available publicly.
The creators of this software are optimistic, generally brushing off concerns, still thrilled at the prospect of “digital immortality”. It’s a turn of phrase which prompts an important question: will this technology help us to process our grief or to remain in it forever?
Review by Joanna Boyd
