I have just weeks left to live — but thanks to AI, my family can talk to me forever
NY Post
Michael Bommer’s days are numbered but his presence will carry on — thanks to artificial intelligence.
Everything changed for Bommer, a 61-year-old software designer from Berlin, Germany when he received a devastating colon cancer diagnosis two years ago. After many procedures and ups and downs, the married father of four has recently come to terms with these next few weeks likely being his last.
But his family may never truly have to say goodbye: Bommer meticulously input his intimate recollections, speech patterns and overall knowledge into a first-of-its-kind, sophisticated AI program — one heavily expedited to be completed before he passes.
“It’s giving me the opportunity to leave my memories in the vault,” he told The Post.
Weeks of testing the novel AI has shown spot-on accuracy in how it can rationalize and speak as Bommer would.
Bommer’s decision to directly input his likeness to a computer is eternal but the terminally ill, yet optimistic father said there’s a simple reason why he agreed to it all: Something he will miss most is telling his loved ones about life, society and history — a role Bommer cherishes as the patriarch of his family.