We need to learn to let go. Chatting with a deceased loved one is basically equivalent to the ressurection stone in Harry Potter. A faint reflection which will drive people to insanity. This is not healthy at all.
This is worrying for me. Imagine if someone, god forbid, is encouraged into suicide because he felt safer because he had 'left something behind'. Or like, wire the llm into his messenger to pretend as if he is still alive...
I feel similarly. It’s emotionally dangerous because obviously we miss our loved ones. And hearing their voice or feeling a simulacrum of talking to them is probably comforting in some way.
But it’s ultimately hollow. And can’t really answer anything new other than what’s sent into the training. Or, perhaps more dangerously, the simulation may hallucinate things that don’t exist and confuse people. (Eg, “I loved your sister more than you.” Or “I once had an affair in Paris”)
I think what’s more tricky is after a breakup, training a bot in the ex’s chat history to simulate your ex and continuing on with “good morning/good night” chitchat. That probably really messes with people but will be chosen over the pain of rejection. I’m not sure how many messages are really needed, but it’s pretty easy to collect a few thousand texts over a short period of time.
