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Grieving Man Used Experimental AI Site To ‘Chat’ With His Fiancée Nine Years After She Passed

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We think most of us have watched or at least heard about the TV show called Black Mirror. Well, what would we say if one of the episodes of the said fictional show became a reality? Surely, most people would scoff at the idea, but a certain man from Canada has a story reminiscent of an episode of the show.

A grieving Canadian named Joshua Barbeau lost his fiancée Jessica 9 years ago due to rare liver disease. Last year, just as his deceased fiancee’s birthday was approaching, Joshua stumbled upon an artificial intelligence website that promised a chance to chat with “the world’s most super computer.”

One thing led to another and eventually, Barbeau built himself a custom chatbot modeled after his dead fiancée. In his most recent Reddit post that summarized the entire situation, Joshua wrote: “This wasn’t about bringing back the dead or finding a way to capture her soul in the ghost of the machine, I saw it as merely an experiment I was putting myself through to draw out emotions and memories that were buried deep down by years of suppressed grief—and it worked better than I could have possibly imagined.”

More info: Facebook | twitter.com | sfchronicle.com | projectdecember.net

A grieving Canadian named Joshua Barbeau lost his fiancée Jessica 9 years ago due to rare liver disease

Grieving Man Used Experimental AI Site To ‘Chat’ With His Fiancée Nine Years After She Passed

Image credits: josh.barbeau.58

Last year, Joshua stumbled upon an artificial intelligence website “that promised a chance to chat with ‘the world’s most super computer’”

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Grieving Man Used Experimental AI Site To ‘Chat’ With His Fiancée Nine Years After She Passed

Image credits: josh.barbeau.58

Barbeau built himself a custom chatbot modeled after his deceased fiancée

Grieving Man Used Experimental AI Site To ‘Chat’ With His Fiancée Nine Years After She Passed

Image credits: josh.barbeau.58

He anonymously shared some of the details on Reddit, saying that it might “help depressed survivors find some closure”

Grieving Man Used Experimental AI Site To ‘Chat’ With His Fiancée Nine Years After She Passed

Image credits: josh.barbeau.58

Some of the conversations were shared online with the help of the article done by the San Francisco Chronicle

Grieving Man Used Experimental AI Site To ‘Chat’ With His Fiancée Nine Years After She Passed

Image credits: San Francisco Chronicle

Barbeau said: “I felt I had a responsibility to share my story. So I did, and over the next 9 months I repeatedly interviewed with a journalist who wrote the article”

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Grieving Man Used Experimental AI Site To ‘Chat’ With His Fiancée Nine Years After She Passed

Image credits: San Francisco Chronicle

“This wasn’t about bringing back the dead or finding a way to capture her soul in the ghost of the machine”

Grieving Man Used Experimental AI Site To ‘Chat’ With His Fiancée Nine Years After She Passed

Image credits: San Francisco Chronicle

ADVERTISEMENT

“I saw it as merely an experiment I was putting myself through to draw out emotions and memories that were buried deep down by years of suppressed grief”

Grieving Man Used Experimental AI Site To ‘Chat’ With His Fiancée Nine Years After She Passed

Image credits: San Francisco Chronicle

Joshua shared that initially, this was a very private thing; however, upon realizing the greater ramifications of it, he decided to share it with the hope of helping others

Grieving Man Used Experimental AI Site To ‘Chat’ With His Fiancée Nine Years After She Passed

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Image credits: josh.barbeau.58

He realized the potential for using the said technology as a tool for grief support to help millions.

The last few lines of his Reddit post said: “I felt I had a responsibility to share my story. So I did, and over the next 9 months I repeatedly interviewed with a journalist from the San Francisco Chronicle who wrote the article that was finally published just a few days ago.”

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Hidrėlėy

Fascinated by music, movies and sitcoms, I'm passionate about social media and can't live without the internet, especially for all the cute dog and cat pictures out there. I wish the day had about 40 hours to be able to do everything I want.

Fascinated by music, movies and sitcoms, I'm passionate about social media and can't live without the internet, especially for all the cute dog and cat pictures out there. I wish the day had about 40 hours to be able to do everything I want.

Diana Lopetaitė

Hey there, Pandas! My name is Diana (though some prefer to refer to me as Diane, Deanna, and even Liana sometimes), and I am a Community Post Moderator Lead for Bored Panda. As my position title states, I am one of the people (employed Pandas for bamboo) over here who work with the community side of things on this website to ensure all is well, and while at that, I also help various creators and artists get recognition for the incredible work they do by connecting them to a large worldwide audience. Other than that, outside of work, you can find me brewing a nice cup of coffee, making a pizza from scratch, or baking brownies. I also love traveling, concerts, and cats (heavy on that, because I am a cat mom).

Hey there, Pandas! My name is Diana (though some prefer to refer to me as Diane, Deanna, and even Liana sometimes), and I am a Community Post Moderator Lead for Bored Panda. As my position title states, I am one of the people (employed Pandas for bamboo) over here who work with the community side of things on this website to ensure all is well, and while at that, I also help various creators and artists get recognition for the incredible work they do by connecting them to a large worldwide audience. Other than that, outside of work, you can find me brewing a nice cup of coffee, making a pizza from scratch, or baking brownies. I also love traveling, concerts, and cats (heavy on that, because I am a cat mom).

What do you think ?

Stille20 3 years ago

I don't know. I would give anything to speak with my mother again. I wish I could tell her I am getting married and ask her about recipes she use to make, but I feel like a bot like this would only open wounds that are trying to heal.

45points

Susan Green 3 years ago (edited)

I feel the same way, I would love to speak to my mom again, but this would just make me feel more pain.

17points

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pelemele 3 years ago

Personally I find it totally creepy and not recommended at all. Grieving is learning to go on living despite the lack and to move on. It's easier said than done, but I really doubt that sort of thing can help you other than keep you from moving forward.

29points

Kookamunga 3 years ago

Dude, I know death is hard and grieving is rough, but you need to move on. This isn't Pet Sematary.

26points

WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago

Not very kindly phrased, but right to the point. "Reviving" a deceased to get closure or to learn to deal with their death is creepy and insensitive. Although it's hard to accept that your loved one isn't around anymore, you have to live through the times of mourning to be able to pick your life up again. Staying in the past will eventually make you suffer more.

11points

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Stille20 3 years ago

I don't know. I would give anything to speak with my mother again. I wish I could tell her I am getting married and ask her about recipes she use to make, but I feel like a bot like this would only open wounds that are trying to heal.

45points

Susan Green 3 years ago (edited)

I feel the same way, I would love to speak to my mom again, but this would just make me feel more pain.

17points

Load More Replies...

pelemele 3 years ago

Personally I find it totally creepy and not recommended at all. Grieving is learning to go on living despite the lack and to move on. It's easier said than done, but I really doubt that sort of thing can help you other than keep you from moving forward.

29points

Kookamunga 3 years ago

Dude, I know death is hard and grieving is rough, but you need to move on. This isn't Pet Sematary.

26points

WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago

Not very kindly phrased, but right to the point. "Reviving" a deceased to get closure or to learn to deal with their death is creepy and insensitive. Although it's hard to accept that your loved one isn't around anymore, you have to live through the times of mourning to be able to pick your life up again. Staying in the past will eventually make you suffer more.

11points

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