TORONTO – What happens after we die? Do we continue our lives as spiritual beings as some religions dictate, or do we simply live on in the memories of our loved ones?
Even Monty Python questions if death is really “the end” in the film ‘The Meaning of Life.’
But An eerie idea from a London, England-based ad agency will see people live on through their Twitter accounts – tweeting from beyond the grave.
The project, appropriately named LivesOn, is dubbed an “artificial intelligence experiment” by its creators.
“It feels evolutionary in a way, inevitable that man will use technology to somehow live on. Popular culture has gone on about it for years, from Lawnmower Man to the Matrix. Religions have sold us afterlife, good or bad, for eons.”
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LivesOn would create a separate Twitter account for the user, specific to their “afterlife experience” by adding a ‘_LIVESON’ to their Twitter handle. This account would only have one follower – you – and will only be made public when you choose to do so.
While you are still alive and tweeting, LivesOn would monitor your original Twitter feed and analyze it to compile your interests and syntax. Over time, LivesOn would begin updating the new Twitter feed, mimicking your style alongside your own tweets.
“The goal is to get it to almost become like a twin,” said Bedwood. “Over the years and with advances in tech and platforms, we may be able to imitate the way you talk.”
The goal is to learn what your behaviour is like on Twitter, right down to the kinds of things you re-Tweet. Users can even “favourite” tweets to help LivesOn learn about their interest.
When the user passes away, an executor – a family member or close friend who is given control of the account – would decide if the account should stay live and continue tweeting after the person.
Currently there are only five team members working on the research and development project, which launches in late March, in conjunction with Queen Mary University. Bedwood notes there are no plans to monetize LivesOn at this point.
“What has been interesting is seeing that lots of people already believe it is actually possible, that Armageddon is coming. But at the moment it is still just an interesting pursuit, with interesting ethical and philosophical questions,” said Bedwood.
Bedwood said LivesOn has garnered attention – both negative and positive. He notes that some people love the idea, others hate it, and some are completely apprehensive about what this type of application means for the future.
“This, to me, is no weirder than any afterlife that has been promised by organized religion, or hell that has been threatened,” said Bedwood. “It’s just a sign of our times.”
SOUND OFF: Would you want to live on through social media? Tell us on Facebook.
LivesOn is not the only program designed to help you connect with the world after you are gone.
DeadSocial, in early beta stages, allows users to send out Facebook messages to their friends from the afterlife.
After creating a DeadSocial account, the user can create timed Facebook messages, addressed to their loved ones, to be sent out after their death. In an eerie twist, DeadSocial will also allow the user to record audio and video messages to be delivered to Facebook friends after their death.
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