RACHEL BELLE

UW computer scientists are working on a way for you to talk to the dead

Jan 25, 2016, 5:51 PM | Updated: 6:25 pm

The work the researchers have done so far using Tom Hanks face....

The work the researchers have done so far using Tom Hanks face.

Five years ago I sat down with my Grandma Sue and a tape recorder, and interviewed her for two hours. I asked her to tell me stories of her childhood in New York City, her marriage, anything about her life. I learned that she got married at 16 years old, in a jail, along with several other young women and their soldier fiancés. They later divorced and, on tape, she advised me not to marry a bum.

Unfortunately, a few weeks later I accidentally deleted the recording. And before I could schedule another visit to re-record, she died. Now, the only recording I have of Grandma Sue’s thick, New York accent is a five second video on an old, out-of-service cell phone.

What if you could have one more conversation with someone who passed away? Or many conversations. Would you do it? Eventually, this may be possible. Computer scientists at the University of Washington are working on bringing photos and video to life.

“In the end we hope to get something like a 3-D model on a screen that you can talk to, that will try and respond to your questions the way they would do,” says UW graduate student Supasorn Sawajanakorn. “That’s the end goal of this. It’s going to take more work, a lot more work, to get to that point.”

Sawajanakorn helped develop an algorithm that can reconstruct 3-D models of a person from photos and video and bring them to life using a puppeteering application. Right now they’re experimenting with celebrities, because there is so much video available. Sawajanakorn says President Obama’s footage was especially ideal because all of the shots of him speaking are head-on.

“I can replace his voice with my voice and then have his lips move the way he should speak.”

So it might not be possible to do something like this with my grandma, because we don’t have enough photos and videos to make the 3-D model.

“But imagine if you have a [recorded] Skype conversation. You basically look into the camera and you do a lot of talking and that could be the valuable data for reconstructing normal people too.”

Right now, Sawajanakorn can make President Obama and Tom Hanks move their lips in synch with a recorded voice. But in order to have a back and forth conversation with one of these models, and ask questions, there has to be an artificial intelligence component.

“I think it has to combine with the AI part. You might want them to say something they’ve never said before. Maybe you want to ask them personal questions and you have to maybe learn what they know in their past life and then transfer that over. I think you have to also solve that AI problem.”

The scientists have already been working on this for the past five years, and Sawajanakorn thinks the project needs at least another five to work properly. The idea is that maybe one day you could put on a pair of augmented reality glasses and see the 3-D model of your dead grandma, or a celebrity you’d never have the opportunity to meet, and have a conversation as if they’re right there.

But the real question is, would you even want to do this? Is speaking to an artificially intelligent version of someone who passed away healing and cathartic or just plain creepy?

Rachel Belle

Rachel Belle...

Rachel Belle

Belle: This isn’t goodbye, it’s see you later

After 20 years in news radio, I'm leaving my post at KIRO Newsradio to focus on making my podcast "Your Last Meal" full-time!

10 months ago

emily post etiquette...

Rachel Belle

Emily Post’s “Etiquette” goes modern: Advice on pronouns, hugging

In 1922, Emily Post published her very first etiquette book. Since then, 18 editions have been published by five generations of Posts.

10 months ago

Friluftsliv...

Rachel Belle

Combat winter blues with friluftsliv, the Nordic tradition of being outside

Friluftsliv is part of the culture in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Denmark, places that are darker and colder than Seattle in winter.

11 months ago

small talk...

Rachel Belle

Most Americans hate small talk, but Seattleites continue talking about weather

Out of 1,000 people surveyed, 71% said they prefer silence to small talk and 89% of Gen Z use their phones to avoid making small talk.

11 months ago

(Igordoon Primus/Unsplash)...

Rachel Belle

Seattle sperm bank in desperate need of Black donors

Only 2% of American sperm donors are Black men, which is causing a lot of heartache for women specifically looking for a Black donor. 

11 months ago

Photo courtesy of Rosie Grant...

Rachel Belle

Woman cooking recipes engraved on gravestones says they’re all ‘to die for’

You know that recipe your family requests at every holiday, potluck and birthday party? What if you had it engraved on your tombstone?

11 months ago

Sponsored Articles

Swedish Cyberknife...

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

September is a busy month on the sports calendar and also holds a very special designation: Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Ziply Fiber...

Dan Miller

The truth about Gigs, Gs and other internet marketing jargon

If you’re confused by internet technologies and marketing jargon, you’re not alone. Here's how you can make an informed decision.

Education families...

Education that meets the needs of students, families

Washington Virtual Academies (WAVA) is a program of Omak School District that is a full-time online public school for students in grades K-12.

Emergency preparedness...

Emergency planning for the worst-case scenario

What would you do if you woke up in the middle of the night and heard an intruder in your kitchen? West Coast Armory North can help.

Innovative Education...

The Power of an Innovative Education

Parents and students in Washington state have the power to reimagine the K-12 educational experience through Insight School of Washington.

Medicare fraud...

If you’re on Medicare, you can help stop fraud!

Fraud costs Medicare an estimated $60 billion each year and ultimately raises the cost of health care for everyone.

UW computer scientists are working on a way for you to talk to the dead