A tech CEO has said the AI world means what is real and what is not real ‘starts to evolve’ – as he changes how people cope with grief by creating chatbots with the personality of departed loved ones.

Justin Harrison started You, Only Virtual (YOV) after his mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. The company began to preserve this relationship with his mother, building a digital avatar of her – known as a Versona – for after she passed.

The former filmmaker said their ‘griefbots’ can ‘help with the grieving process and allow people to stay connected with their loved ones in a way that feels more natural’.

The AI was trained on text messages and phone calls between Mr Harrison and his mother while she was alive, alongside using voice memos and videos to capture her voice.

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