PODCAST «NZZ MEGAHERTZ» - AI avatars from the afterlife – will we soon no longer have to mourn?

You can also listen to and subscribe to the podcast «NZZ Megahertz» on Spotify , Apple Podcasts or Castbox .

Do you have feedback, questions, praise, criticism, or a topic idea? Then write to us!

Communicating with the dead via chat or phone call – the American company "You, Only Virtual" sells an app that makes just that possible. Virtual clones of the deceased make it possible for those left behind to never have to say goodbye to their loved ones. That's the promise of Justin Harrison, the company's American founder.

Nicole Krättli, a documentary filmmaker, met Harrison. For her "NZZ Format" film about "Grief Tech," she also accompanied people who had already created clones of themselves—in case they were about to die.

In the podcast, Krättli describes her impressions and discusses the human needs behind this technology with host Jenny Rieger. Death is still a taboo in our culture, she says – "and wherever there's a taboo, there's also a vacuum."

This podcast episode is the start of the new season of “NZZ Megahertz,” which is about saying goodbye and doing things for the last time.

You can find all episodes of “NZZ Megahertz” in this overview.