App Offering Digital Avatars of Deceased Loved Ones

A new artificial intelligence app co-founded by former Disney Channel actor Calum Worthy is drawing attention for its ability to create interactive digital avatars of deceased individuals using short recordings of video and audio. The app, called 2wai, allows users to generate lifelike avatars that can speak, gesture, and respond in ways designed to resemble the person being recreated.

According to the company, the technology requires only a few minutes of existing footage to build what it describes as a “HoloAvatar,” intended to preserve a person’s voice, appearance, and mannerisms. The app’s creators have framed the project as a way to archive memories, stories, and personalities, offering families a new method of preserving connections across generations.

Promotional materials for the app have shown users interacting with avatars of loved ones for guidance, reflection, or emotional comfort, positioning the technology as a digital extension of traditional photos, videos, and recorded messages. Supporters of the concept have argued that such tools could help people reflect on family history and maintain a sense of continuity with those who have passed away.

At the same time, the app has prompted discussion and criticism from some members of the public, ethicists, and technology observers. Concerns have focused on whether interacting with AI-generated representations of the deceased could complicate the grieving process, as well as broader questions about consent, privacy, and the commercialization of deeply personal memories. Some critics have also expressed discomfort with the realism of the avatars and the emotional implications of simulating conversations with people who are no longer alive.

Worthy and the company behind 2wai have said the goal is not to replace human relationships or grief, but to create a respectful digital record of individuals and their stories. As artificial intelligence continues to advance into increasingly personal areas of life, the app has become part of a larger conversation about how emerging technologies should be used, and where ethical boundaries should be drawn when innovation intersects with loss and memory.