[gavinray]

So, I have a legitimate question about this sort of thing:

My grandparents are getting older, and historically their health hasn't been the greatest.

I get to visit them maybe once or twice a year. I might see them less than 10 times again in my lifetime.

Given current technology, is it not feasible for me to digitally preserve their personality and experiences somehow?

My thought was that I could:

- Use an iPhone camera to take 3D scan of their bodies in a T-Pose with LIDAR

- Record several hours of them talking to me

- Ask them to give me copies of any sort of written correspondence or journals they have ever written, as well as maybe start keeping a daily diary (either written or vocal)

Theoretically with this data, wouldn't I be able to generate a 3D, VR version of them that is sort of somewhat similar?

If not, what else do I need/should I do to improve accuracy?

Thanks HN.

[jfim]

> I get to visit them maybe once or twice a year. I might see them less than 10 times again in my lifetime.

If you can, it's probably better to go spend time with them than trying to clone them using technology.

I've worked remotely for a month from my parents' house earlier this year, and we all really enjoyed it since we could spend time together after work. Hopefully you have that opportunity too.

[3seashells]

https://github.com/PicassoCT/MOSAIC/blob/master/sounds/adver...

https://github.com/PicassoCT/MOSAIC/blob/master/sounds/adver...

[NiagaraThistle]

I don't recall the guy's name. I don't even know what to google to find a link for you, but several years ago I came across an article of a man who did something similar to what you are talking about but as a Chat Bot (it was well before ChatGPT was public).

He did a large number of interviews with his dying father over the course of a year. Then he transposed all the questions and answer from those interviews into a database (i think). And built a Chat bot that used natural language to 'talk' with him after his father passed away to preserve his father in a virtual way. THe bot could answer random questions (not the interview questions) and form answers in the 'voice' and 'tone' of his dad bases on the hundreds or thousands of questions he'd asked in those interviews. It could create new answers based on all that data as if the father was texting his son.

I know that the article (or series of articles) I read about this was pretty detailed in how the man went about this. I'm sorry I can't recall where I read this.

I am sure there is a way to do something much more in depth now that ChatGPT is as robust as it is.

[HenryBemis]

Could it be this one? Can you please check and see if it rings a bell?

https://www.wired.com/story/a-sons-race-to-give-his-dying-fa...

[michaelsmanley]

Others have said it here, but I read this and thought, "Why not just prioritize spending time with them now, while they're still alive?"

I'm not convinced that the human condition would be improved by simulation of the deceased. I could be convinced that would be a project with unexpected consequences that aren't so good.

[noman-land]

Have you asked your grandparents if they want to be preserved in this way?

[ra1231963]

This come off so… un-human. Like a machine trying to preserve a human rather than a human trying to maximize real experiences with them.

[lostmsu]

Nah, you just have a bias along the lines of "if it weren't done before, it is unhuman".