In a creepy advance in AI tech, grieving families can now talk to their dead loved ones in virtual video chats.

The always-improving technology can mimic things like facial expressions and voice, with experts aiming to recreate versions of those you’ve lost who were close to your heart.

There’s one catch though – the person involved will have to set it up before they pass. That means if someone has a terminal illness, they would no doubt want to do this while they are still in reasonable health, as that would be how they would be remembered.

The person involved would also need to write down memories and meaningful life moments so their AI avatar can talk about real life events.

Obviously there will be many who find the concept distasteful and rather disturbing, but the developers behind the project – called Re;memory – are backing it.

“We’ve already found it to be polarising,” says Joseph Murphy of South Korean firm DeepBrain AI. “Some people love the opportunity to live on forever in this way, but many view it as inauthentic.

“People like that they can share their memories after they’re gone and they want their family to remember them in a healthy state.”

The service is already available in Asia and the US, and is launching in the UK soon, and it allows the user to interact with their lost connections.

“You might ask it, ‘Tell me about the time you met Dad,’” explains Murphy, “and the virtual person will be able to tell the story in full. The more they journal, the more realistic the experience will be.”