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The app’s promotional video, posted on X by Worthy last week, quickly went viral, amassing over 22 million views and generating a wave of criticism, according to Forbes.
The ad features an expectant mother communicating with an AI-generated avatar of her deceased mother. The avatar interacts with the family as the son grows up and eventually has children of his own. Worthy wrote in his post that the company is "building a living archive of humanity," claiming that "loved ones we’ve lost could be part of our future."
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Disney star Calum Worthy. Photo courtesy of Worthy's instagram |
The app’s concept quickly drew comparisons to the 2013 episode of Netflix's sci-fi series Black Mirror, "Be Right Back," in which a grieving woman uses an AI replica of her deceased partner. Social media reactions have been overwhelmingly negative. One user called the app "objectively one of the most evil ideas imaginable," with another remarking, "A former Disney Channel star creating the most evil thing I’ve ever seen in my life wasn’t really what I was expecting."
Another user labeled the app "demonic, dishonest, and dehumanizing," expressing they would never want to interact with an AI-generated persona of a deceased loved one. Critics have also questioned whether the app profits from people's grief, with some calling it an unhealthy way of coping with loss.
2wai allows users to create a "HoloAvatar," which, according to the company, "looks and talks like you, and even shares the same memories," Interesting Engineering reported.
In addition to personal avatars, 2wai offers users the chance to interact with AI versions of historical figures like William Shakespeare, Florence Nightingale, King Henry VIII, and Frida Kahlo. These avatars are designed as "real-time teaching assistants," offering an immersive learning experience, according to The Independent.
In an interview with Variety, Worthy explained that the app would also allow celebrities and artists to put "the control back in the hand
