Two years after Suzanne Somers died from breast cancer, her husband Alan Hamel plans to release an AI version of the beloved actress. The project uses data from her 27 books and hundreds of recorded interviews.
Decades in Development
Hamel married the Three’s Company star in 1977. He told Mercury News that Somers discussed the idea with inventor Ray Kurzweil for more than 30 years. The couple knew the technology would eventually be ready.
The AI twin aims to serve fans who loved Somers. It also helps readers of her health books get information. Hamel said his wife wanted to provide this service. She told him to do it, so he is fulfilling her wish.
Training the AI
The system learns from all of Somers‘ written work and past interviews. This gives it enough material to respond to fan questions. Once complete, the AI will be available on SuzanneSomers.com. Fans can interact with it anytime they want.
Lifelike Results
Hamel showed a demonstration of the robot earlier this year. He considers the project perfect but says it is not ready for public use yet. When he looks at the finished version next to photos of the real Somers, he cannot tell them apart.
Hamel lived with Somers for 55 years. He knows what her face looks like. But when he views the two side by side, he really cannot tell which one is the real person and which is the AI.
Somers died in October 2023, one day before her 77th birthday. She lived with breast cancer for 23 years. Hamel said she was greatly loved by her family and millions of people. The AI project lets her continue helping fans after her death.
