UPDATE: A new AI app from the Los Angeles-based startup 2Wai is stirring heated debate as it allows users to create interactive digital avatars of deceased family members. The app has gone viral, amassing 4.1 million views on social media, raising urgent ethical concerns about technology’s role in grief and memory.
In a promotional video released on November 11, 2025, co-founder Calum Worthy showcases how the app, now available on the Apple App Store, enables users to design avatars that mimic the voices, looks, and memories of their loved ones. The video features a poignant scene where a pregnant woman interacts with an AI version of her late mother, followed by the virtual grandmother reading a bedtime story to her grandchild.
The app, branded as a HoloAvatar, aims to create what Worthy calls “a living archive of humanity.” He provocatively questions, “What if the loved ones we’ve lost could be part of our future?” However, the response has been mixed, with many on social media labeling the technology as “nightmare fuel” and calling for its destruction.
Critics are raising alarms over the emotional ramifications of such technology. They argue that it risks replacing genuine grief with artificial interactions, potentially distorting the memory and process of loss. The portrayal of children forming bonds with AI representations of their grandparents has intensified these concerns.
Experts warn that as AI continues to evolve, physical android versions of the deceased may soon become a reality, prompting deeper ethical questions surrounding consent and the commercialization of grief. The backlash against 2Wai’s app has sparked a broader debate on the implications of technology in personal loss.
Despite the controversy, the app is gaining traction, with many praising its potential to preserve memories and stories. However, a significant portion of users feel that the app is venturing too close to the realm of science fiction.
As the conversation about grief, memory, and AI intensifies, 2Wai’s rapid rise ensures that this topic will remain in the spotlight. The implications of this technology are profound, and the world is watching closely as society grapples with the intersection of grief and innovation.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
