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   Eternal Echoes
       Us: An Experiment

talking to a digital avatar on a phone.j

After our research, we wanted to implant ourselves in the forefront of Digital Resurrection. Reading about these applications can only go so far. We wanted to be able to see how accurate, accessible and functioning the websites are to possibly produce a life-like replication. To do this we recreated ourselves.

Photo generated using Wix AI.

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Abigail Kittler
Creator
 
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Anyssa Logan
Creator
 

Our Data, Our Replikas

Applications

We have tested out six digital resurrection applications and websites. Below are our personal thoughts and ratings.

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HereAfter AI

Price:

  • There is a demo plan that can only record three stories, but there is premium subscriptions ranging from $3.99 to $7.99 a month

Description:

  • Audio and picture uploading

  • Free access for family members to listen to 

  • MP3 downloads available

Our Thoughts: 

  • Not user-friendly, glitches often

  • Saved none of the audio recorded

  • Needs further development before offered for download

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Project December

Price:

  • This recreation is $10 and includes at least an hour-long conversation, with over 100 responses

Description:

  • Uploaded facts on a form that has guided questions and ten customizable facts

  • Text based chat bot

Our Thoughts:

  • Adapted to lingo used when asking questions

  • Admitted it is a computer simulation, but would use "I" statements

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Replika

Price:

  • There is a demo plan that allows you to talk to the avatar, however, it does not include all the features like voice memos and photos. For the full plan, it is $69.99 a year

Description:

  • Can create an avatar based on whomever you choose

  • Unlimited text with the option to call, voice message or Facetime

  • Can grow relationships/friendships to different levels

Our Thoughts:

  • Engaging and easy to chat with 

  • Large, variety of answers

  • Well-developed avatar and can hold conversations

chat ever after.jpg

Chat Ever After

Price:

  • There are 3 subscription plans, ranging from $19.99 to $70.99 a month

Description:

  • The $19.99 per month plan includes 1 recreation while the $70.99 includes 10 recreations

  • The first plan only includes SMS messaging, while the most expensive plan includes video chatting

Our Thoughts:

  • When we clicked purchase, it brought us to the contact page. There was no information besides an email. When emailed, an error message was the only response, saying that the message could not be delivered. After trying twice, from two different emails, we decided that Chat Ever After is not currently available for use. 

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Storyfile

Price: 

  • They have an extensive free trial with unlimited conversations based on 33 questions. They have three other packages that range up to $500. This includes up to 1,600 questions.

Description:

  • This application was extremely accessible and easy to navigate

  •  There were clear instructions on how to build the storyfiles

  • Through this application, you record questions that the application will then pick the best possible answer to respond with 

Our Thoughts:

  • With the upload of a large amount of questions, Story File would be able to make realistic responses to ask 

  • Many of the questions did not have any answers, due the small amount of questions uploaded

yov 2.png

You, only virtual

Price:

  • $19.99 per month which includes voice and text features

Description:

  • Creating a versona based on voice and text messages

  • Uses a third-party application to upload all of your text messages

Our Thoughts:

  • Glitchy and difficult to navigate uploading files

  • Long, unclear instructions on how to upload files, which would take many hours

  • Received multiple error messages when uploading files, no tech support response

our ratings

Hereafter Ai

Project December

Replika

Chat ever after

Storyfile

You, only Virtual

Sources

Works Cited

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Cafiero, Clayton. Interview. Conducted by Abigail Kittler and Anyssa Logan. 23 February 2024.

 

Canon, Lincoln. Interview. Conducted by Abigail Kittler and Anyssa Logan. 26 January 2024.

 

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Weil, Paul. Interview. Conducted by Abigail Kittler and Anyssa Logan. 25 February 2024.

 

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