Can AI, 3D & Augmented Reality Create An Augmented Eternity?
A series of developments led by virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) allowed us to talk about different "immortality" scenarios.
We create time capsules to carry our memories and cultures into eternity. In fact, our desire to somehow carve our existence into the pages of the past goes back to the stick figures on cave walls. Little pieces of memories that carry the clues about who we are, what we've been through, and people we know shed light on our individual past. What if in the near future it is ourselves that we confine in a small box? After all, memories and our possessions can also be preserved with 3D modeling.
You and Me Forever, On a Computer Screen
2+1 apartments, living rooms with big kitchens… We consider many parameters when renting a house, but can you live inside a computer?
The science fiction industry loves to bring the afterlife theme together with AR/VR technologies. In Black Mirror, we first watched the drama of a woman who wanted to keep her husband by her side after his death, and then the story of two women who fell in love in the digital world. On Upload, we witnessed the story of a man whose consciousness was uploaded to a virtual afterlife simulation after he died.
Same innovations can also be found in real life as well. We recently watched footage of a woman reuniting with her late daughter in VR as part of a documentary called “I Met You”. The video, which went viral in a very short time, created an ethical debate and divided people in two.
Somnium Space - Live Forever
Artur Sychov, the founder of the metaverse company Somnium Space, has created a feature called the "Live Forever" mode. Inspired by his sick father and the fact that his children will never see their grandfather, Sychov's idea is based on collecting user data. Data will be collected with manual input or future collaborations along with wearable VR outfits.
In order to activate the Live Forever mode, the voices, movements, and facial expressions of the people must be recorded. Even if the person dies later, the created avatar can continue to communicate with their loved ones in the real world.
Although privacy concerns can be confusing, the company stated that if users do not activate the Live Forever mode, their data is not collected. At the same time, we will see how honest the company is, stating that the data is never shared with third-party advertising applications, in 2023 when the feature is released.
You, Only Virtual (YOV)
We talked about how science fiction loves the afterlife theme. Then you wouldn't be surprised at the desire of a former filmmaker to turn this theme into a reality. After being active in the film industry, Justin Harrison has devoted all his time, energy, and even his data to creating a simulation of post-mortem communication, “You, Only Virtual (YOV)”.
When you are signing up, you invite four of your closest friends to join your circle. From there, the app's technology tracks all of your interactions to gauge your individual social dynamics, conversational idiosyncrasies, and word selection. For this reason, the app must be downloaded and in use for a significant amount of time before the user's passing - as its technology creates and adjusts your personality profile in real-time. The app then uses this information to create a holistic idea of your personality and style of communication - what they call a "persona."
This persona, once completed, will be able to continue all your interactions once you've passed away. Your loved ones will be able to contact you through text, audio, and video chat thanks to augmented reality. That's right, video chat.
Do You Belong to the Metaverse or the Real World?
Does the potential of rapid technological progress cause us to replace our human values such as mourning and commemoration with artificial possessions? Or is it just an innocent way of keeping the people we love with us for as long as we live?
The belief in the afterlife and seeing loved ones together again, which we encounter in different religions, actually shows similarities to what the metaverse offers us. Because existing in a reality far from the world we live in is actually just another way of changing our environment. At this point, we are faced with the famous question that has been one of the main topics of the metaverse discussions from the beginning: Can a metaverse designed like an afterlife cause us to break our ties with the real world?
One of the biggest problems of creating a man-made environment of reality is that it’s always open to adaptation and interference from outside. Social boundaries and individual situations can be manipulated for personal benefits. And the fulfillment of wishes is entirely in the hands of an artificial mechanical process. Due to the power that we hold in our hands now, we may never want to return to our unpredictable real world.
So what would be our motivation for the afterlife? Is it the fear of losing loved ones, or the feeling of unease due to the disappearance of our own existence? We guess we'll never know which one outweighs.
Make Your Business Immortal Too With 3D & AR
Today, many sectors such as health, education, and fashion are turning the advantages of 3D & AR technology into real profit. We are not only digitizing our personalities, but also our businesses and belongings as well. The things we buy have already started to have digital 3D versions of them. We are buying things one for ourselves and one for our avatars.
If you want to meet the needs of your brand in a way that prepares you for the future now, you can contact our professional team and start digitizing your products. Do not be late and move your shop online today.
