Calum Worthy, an actor known from the Disney Channel series Austin & Ally, has introduced a new AI app called 2wai. The app allows people to create digital avatars of their deceased loved ones. All they need to do is record a three-minute video of the person while they are still alive, and the app will use it to create an interactive version they can talk to. In an ad Worthy shared on the social network X (formerly Twitter), we see a pregnant woman consulting her mother over the phone about her pregnancy. At the end, it is revealed that the mother is actually dead and only her AI avatar is on the screen. The ad ends with the words: "With 2wai, three minutes can last forever." Worthy captioned the video: "What if the loved ones we've lost could be part of our future?" The video received more than 22 million views, but also thousands of critical responses.
How does avatar creation work?
The process is simple, as the ad explains. The woman recorded her mother for three minutes while she spoke and moved. The app then used the footage to create an avatar that looks and speaks like the real person. This avatar then interacts with the family—in the ad, we see it becoming involved in their lives as the child is born, grows up, and later has children of their own. The app is free to download, but offers premium avatars and digital items for purchase. In addition to deceased relatives, the app allows users to talk to historical figures such as William Shakespeare, Florence Nightingale, King Henry VIII, or Frida Kahlo. These avatars serve as interactive teachers for educational purposes. Worthy himself has a digital avatar in the app that speaks in his voice. Other characters include Luca as a personal chef, Celeste as an astrologer, and Darius as a personal trainer. Famous people and artists can upload their avatars to communicate with fans around the clock.
Wave of criticism
People on social media quickly compared the app to the dystopian series Black Mirror, specifically the second-season episode Be Right Back. In it, Hayley Atwell uses artificial intelligence to bring back her dead boyfriend, played by Domhnall Gleeson. One user wrote: "Isn't this almost literally an episode of Black Mirror?" Another added: "Great idea—gradually replace my internal memories of deceased loved ones with AI slop!" Someone else warned: "Oh goody, another way for people to lose touch with reality and avoid the normal grieving process." Critics argue that the app could cause a great deal of pain because it offers false hope of reconnecting with the dead, something that can never replace their actual presence. One user called it "objectively one of the worst ideas imaginable" and received more than 210,000 likes. Another said: "Former Disney star creates the most horrifying thing I've ever seen," receiving 139,000 likes. Someone called it "demonic, dishonest, and dehumanizing," adding that they would never want an avatar of themselves because "my value dies with me. I am not an avatar." People fear that the app exploits grief for profit and prevents people from processing loss in a healthy way.
Other uses of the app
In addition to personal avatars, the app also serves celebrities. Worthy told Variety that 2wai puts control back in the hands of famous people, allowing them to have "meaningful relationships with fans around the world." It enables them to communicate 24 hours a day without having to be online. "This platform enables a personal, human connection," he added. Worthy began his career as a child actor and played Dez in Austin & Ally on Disney Channel. He most recently appeared in the series The Act, American Vandal, and the Hulu comedy Reboot. The app thus combines entertainment, education, and personal memories, but its main feature involving deceased relatives has sparked the greatest controversy.
Sources: independent.co.uk and forbes.com
