Eternal You

In the Black Mirror episode “Be Right Back”, a grieving woman uses AI to communicate with her boyfriend after his sudden death. After conversing with the digital construct through calls and texts, she upgrades to an android replicant of him, with events taking a darker turn from here. This premise seemed like it was from a dystopian future when the episode aired in 2013; but with AI software now making it possible for people to talk to their loved ones after they’ve passed away, this is now a reality that thousands of people around the world have signed up for. Filmmakers Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck explore this subject in a thoughtful and poignant documentary Eternal You, talking to both those who’ve used these services and the programmers pushing the boundaries of what the technology is capable of.

Those who’ve consumed these services talk openly about how having simulated conversations with those they’ve lost has helped them deal with their grief. To some, it’s a form of comfort, to others it’s a way of preserving their memories so that younger family members can get a chance to know them better. The saddest story, though, is a Korean woman who uses VR to interact with her dead daughter, which hits the hardest. Whatever the reason these people have for using these services, the rawness of emotions is palpable.

Although this emerging industry hasn’t reached the point of replacing the dead with androids, there is nevertheless a darker side to using AI in this way. Because of how vastly complex these systems are, it’s explained, it becomes impossible to know how the programmes will react at times, with some of the resulting interactions being disturbing. One woman is told by the digital construct of her boyfriend that he’s “in hell” and is going to haunt her. Adding to the dystopian nature of this discussion is the capitalist drive behind this industry where, if it becomes profitable, businesses will jump on the growing trend irrespective of any ethical and moral factors.

Once thought to be the stuff of science fiction, technology has reached the point where it’s now possible to talk to the dead. And with this tech only going to improve in coming years, Eternal You gives an insightful glance into the benefits and potential harm such interactions can have on us.

Andrew Murray

Eternal You is released in select cinemas on 28^th June 2024.

Watch the trailer for Eternal You here: