Particle.news
Download on the App Store

2Wai’s HoloAvatar App Goes Live on iOS as Critics Condemn AI Replicas of the Dead

Ethicists say recreations without explicit consent pose serious psychological risks.

Overview

  • The Los Angeles startup’s iOS beta is available on the Apple App Store, with Android listed as coming soon after a viral promo drew millions of views.
  • The company’s ad shows a family interacting for years with an AI modeled on a deceased mother and touts that “three minutes” of recording can generate a lasting avatar.
  • Social media reaction has been overwhelmingly negative, with users labeling the idea dehumanizing and drawing sharp parallels to Black Mirror’s ‘Be Right Back.’
  • Researchers and legal experts warn of a consent vacuum, weak post‑mortem privacy protections, possible distress for children, and the risk of unwanted “digital hauntings.”
  • Co-founders Calum Worthy and Russell Geyser promote on‑device ‘FedBrain’ processing, real‑time chats in 40+ languages, a free beta shifting to subscriptions, $5 million pre‑seed funding, and purported work with BT and IBM.