A South Korean tech company is hoping to create a digital bridge between the living and the dead with the help of artificial intelligence.
Soul Link uses AI to create replica characters, or "digital twins", of the deceased by using photographs, video or voice recordings.
The technology, on show at Gitex 2025 in Dubai, can reproduce the face, voice, tone and memories of the dead to simulate an online presence of those who have died. Developers claim it can help those struggling to come to terms with grief.
“We have already launched this product in Korea and Japan, and hope to now bring this to the Middle East,” said Kim Min-kyung, a business development manager of JL Standard, a South Korean start-up that launched Soul Link in Asia.
“Soul Link is AI-based and follows our slogan, which is 'data follows emotions'. This is not only AI, but it also brings human empathy to the technology. We focus on the autobiography of someone’s life, so a connection with a family member can continue after they have passed.”
How does it work and what is the cost?
To create a video letter from a dead relative costs around Dh500 ($136), while a composite restoration of a memorial photo is priced at Dh250.
The company is also working on an application that it is hoped will allow people to set characteristics of a deceased loved one, their voice and personality traits, so conversation becomes possible.
For those who have lost a beloved pet, messages can even be created and personalised to feel as though they have been delivered directly from your dead cat or dog.
Mixed opinions
The technology is not without its critics, however. Zelda Williams, the daughter of US comedian Robin Williams, asked fans to stop sending her AI-generated video messages of her father, who died in 2014.
Ms Williams, an actress and film director, said the technology was “just badly recycling and regurgitating the past to be reconsumed”. AI has been increasingly used in recent years to resurrect actors for posthumous roles in Hollywood movies.
Carrie Fisher, Harold Ramis and Paul Walker are among the beloved stars to feature in blockbuster hits after their deaths, leading to polarising reactions from audiences. Hollywood actor Robert Downey Jr has previously vowed to ensure his estate sues any film executives who use AI-generated versions of him.
Ms Kim has had a contrasting experience, after using similar technology to recreate images of her grandfather, who died two months ago at the age of 96, after a three-year illness.
“This is designed to allow people to constantly have an interaction with loved ones who are no longer alive,” she said. “The soul will always be alive, they will always be there with you. In Korea, we have found this has worked very well for people who are struggling to deal with the loss of someone close.
“Sometimes you really want to have their touch – if you are in a difficult situation or you need just a little bit of comfort, this can give you this warmness. My grandfather passed away two months ago and we didn't have a prepared recent photo as he had been sick for a while, so we just generated a new one. It was a comfort to see him how he was remembered.”
Company%20profile
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The Vile
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Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
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Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
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