As technology advances and humankind becomes increasingly more reliant on it, a whole realm of what historically was considered impossible is seemingly within reach now. With each day that goes by mimicking an already existing Black Mirror plot, Silicon Valley titans have become the policymakers of tomorrow with each keynote event and product release offering a glimpse into one of our potential futures where both innovation and ethics collide. At the forefront of this ongoing wave of change and slow-paced digitalization of our habits stands Facebook founder and META Corp., CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who just revealed that one of his platforms could establish and facilitate contact between users and their deceased loved ones in the not-so-distant future.
In a recent tête-à-tête interview with Russian-American computer scientist and podcaster Lex Fridman, the 39-year-old delved into the developments of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) while introducing META’s newest feature: Codec Avatars, an online scanning system that can build 3D models of its user’s face.
Asked whether it would be possible “to talk to people who are no longer here that are loved ones,” the tech entrepreneur acknowledged the idea’s feasibility by claiming that “some balance” could be found between AI and VR to create a virtual version of a dead person with whom you could interact and engage with despite recognizing how such technology could become “unhealthy” in the long run.
“If someone has lost a loved one and is grieving, there may be ways in which being able to interact or relive certain memories could be helpful,” Zuckerberg told Fridman, emphasizing how the service, if ever materialized, would require more study and a comprehensive understanding of what it could entail before it becomes a reality.
In the meantime, the focus seems to be placed on developing his already existing virtual world that seems to be struggling to gain traction and capture the imagination of users in the way he envisions it. Amidst significant financial setbacks and substantial workforce reductions, Zuckerberg and his team are still tirelessly working on turning the tide around just to perennially establish their digital world as a go-to portal used by all therefore pushing the idea of re-uniting with your lost ones online to the back of their current priorities.
