The main categories of legacy technology
| Category | How it works | Real or generated? | Needs the person’s involvement? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded legacy interviews | The person answers many questions on video or audio; later, questions are matched to recorded answers | Real recordings | Yes, while alive |
| Video or voice avatars | A model recreates appearance or voice from recordings | Generated | Recordings needed; involvement varies |
| Memorial pages | Online pages where people share stories, photos and tributes | Real contributions | No |
| Platform legacy settings | Legacy contacts and inactive account tools on major platforms | Preserves existing data | Ideally set up by the person |
| Message-based clones | An AI learns writing style and memories from exported chats | Generated in their style | No, but permission and family feelings matter |
Recorded legacy interviews
These services ask the person to record answers to hundreds of questions about their life. Afterwards, family members can ask questions and hear the closest recorded answer. Because every answer is genuine, nothing is invented, which many people find reassuring.
Trade-offs: it requires time and willingness from the person while they are alive and well, and it can only answer what was recorded.
Video and voice avatars
Avatar tools recreate how someone looked or sounded, sometimes combined with an AI that writes the words. They can feel vivid, but appearance and voice are only part of a person, and synthetic faces and voices raise extra questions about consent and misuse.
Memory Clone does not create avatars or voice clones. It focuses on written conversation; see Memory Clone vs AI avatars for the difference.
Memorial pages and family archives
A memorial page or private family archive collects stories, photos and messages from many people. It does not simulate conversation, but it shares memories widely and invites others to contribute. A printed book of favourite messages is a simple, lasting version of the same idea.
Our digital legacy guide explains how to save messages, voice notes and photos safely, which is a good first step whatever else you choose.
Platform legacy settings
Major platforms offer built-in tools for what happens to an account after death: Facebook lets users choose a legacy contact and accounts can be memorialised, Apple offers a Legacy Contact for iCloud data, and Google offers an Inactive Account Manager. These preserve and pass on data rather than create anything new, and they work best when set up in advance.
Message-based clones like Memory Clone
A message-based clone learns from what the person actually wrote: their chats on WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram or Discord, plus notes you add. Memory Clone builds a private index of those messages on your Windows PC, learns style separately for each relationship, and generates new replies with cloud AI only after you switch on cloud processing.
- Strengths: uses material that already exists; captures informal writing style, nicknames and shared memories; can be made after a person has died; keeps originals local.
- Trade-offs: replies are generated, so they can be wrong or out of character; it depends on how much the person wrote; it needs care around family feelings and consent.
It is always an AI simulation. Read what to know before talking to a loved one with AI and our Acceptable Use Policy before starting.
How to choose
- Real or generated? If you only want words the person truly said, choose recordings, archives or memorial pages. If you want new conversation in their style, consider a clone.
- Is the person still here? If yes, recorded interviews and legacy settings are uniquely valuable now, and you can ask how they feel about AI.
- What source material exists? Years of chats suit a message-based clone; lots of video suits an archive.
- Where will the data live? Check whether your files are uploaded to a provider or stay on your device.
- How will it feel? Consider your own wellbeing and your family’s. You can combine approaches, and you can stop at any time.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a griefbot and a memorial page?
A memorial page collects real stories and photos. A griefbot generates new replies in a person’s style, which feels more interactive but can be inaccurate.
Can I create a legacy AI of myself for my family?
Yes. A clone of yourself built from your own messages and notes is the simplest case for consent, and you can decide how it should be used.
Do I need the person’s recordings to use Memory Clone?
No. Memory Clone uses written messages and notes, not audio or video.
Which option is most private?
Options that keep files on your own device, such as a local archive or a local-first app like Memory Clone, keep originals under your control. Check each provider’s privacy policy.
App menus change over time, so labels on your device may differ slightly. Memory Clone creates an AI simulation from the material you provide; it is not the person.