Touching - or grotesque? The AI gadget that lets you 'talk' to loved ones beyond the grave

It sounds like something out of a dystopian sci-fi film: virtual-reality humans that mimic the voices and facial expressions of dead people, so loved ones can speak to them from beyond the grave. But now a Korean artificial intelligence firm has made that'ghoulish' vision a reality, insisting the controversial service will help friends and family cope with grief. The technology uses machine learning to process images, audio recordings and video footage of recently deceased people to create a virtual version that can interact with the living, as if on a video call. Called re;memory, the software can even answer questions from the grieving, and share memories from the past. It is expected to cost between £10,000 and £20,000 to create a virtual person, then £1,000 each time a loved one wants a conversation with it. Business development manager Joseph Murphy acknowledged that the service was controversial.