Alan Hamel, the husband of Suzanne Somers, has introduced an AI replica of his late wife two years following her passing.
The actress and writer passed away at the age of 76 in October 2023. Her publicist, R. Couri Hay, released a statement: “Suzanne Somers passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of October 15th.”
The statement continued: “She survived an aggressive form of breast cancer for over 23 years.
“Suzanne was surrounded by her loving husband Alan, her son Bruce, and her immediate family.”
Now, two years later, Hamel is discussing plans that he and Somers had considered for nearly twenty years, according to PEOPLE.
“Obviously, Suzanne was greatly loved, not only by her family, but by millions of people. One of the projects that we have coming up is a really interesting project, the Suzanne AI Twin,” Hamel shared with the publication.
Hamel elaborated on the AI version of Somers at a conference earlier this year, with the 89-year-old stating he couldn’t distinguish between the real Somers and her AI counterpart.
“It was Suzanne. And I asked her a few questions and she answered them, and it blew me and everybody else away,” he expressed.
“When you look at the finished one next to the real Suzanne, you can’t tell the difference. It’s amazing. And I mean, I’ve been with Suzanne for 55 years, so I know what her face looks like, and when I just look at the two of them side by side, I really can’t tell which one is the real and which one is the AI.”
The AI recreation of Somers involved examining her 27 books and reviewing numerous interviews she had done over the years.
This comprehensive data allows her AI to respond to any question, as Hamel explains, because “the answer will be within her.”
Hamel also recounted his initial interaction with the AI version of his wife.
“The first time I spoke to Suzanne AI, for the first two or three minutes, it was a little strange,” the film director recalled. “But after that, I forgot about the fact that I was talking to a robot and asking her questions and getting answers, and it happens that fast for me, getting used to the whole idea.”