In a plush, sun-drenched living room filled with modern, sleek furniture, a group of people huddle around a laptop to speak to their grandmother.
“How did becoming a grandparent change you?” one asks.
“It brought immense joy into my life,” says 87-year old Marina Smith, through what appears to be a live video call.
Ms Smith speaks seamlessly from her sofa, surrounded by flowers and family photos, smiling as she carefully considers each question she is asked.
“I enjoyed the company, going places and sharing. And the beautiful little things that would come out of a child’s life. And the simple trust in you. It’s very, very beautiful,” she adds.
The conversation, however, is not live.
The Holocaust campaigner from the UK actually died in June 2022 after a short illness.
The tender exchange above was made possible only by advances in artificial intelligence technology and the efforts of her son to document her life.
“It’s an opportunity to be a good ancestor,” Stephen Smith tells The National. “It’s like a living photo album you keep throughout your life. And like a photo album, it will survive you.”
Mr Smith, who lives in Los Angeles but is originally from Nottinghamshire in the UK, is an oral historian who has dedicated much of his life to the testimony of those who experienced extreme, historic events such as the Holocaust.
He is co-founder of the conversational AI video company StoryFile. He is also the son of Ms Smith.
A few months before she died, Mr Smith sat down to talk to his mother. He wanted to answer some lingering questions about his family history, as well as pass on her life story to his children.
“I interviewed her [on camera] over two days, two hours each day, and asked about 120 questions,” Mr Smith says. “I learnt things about her and her interests that I didn’t even know about.”
Mr Smith used his mother’s answers to create a conversational AI video of her, one that could listen to questions and talk back.
In the same way Ms Smith spoke to her grandchildren on a laptop after her death, she answered questions on a TV screen at her own funeral.
“What would you say at your funeral?” her son asked at the end of a touching service, which had been filled with loving tributes by friends and family members from around the world.
“I’m so pleased I met so many good people who influenced my life,” she replied. “I haven’t done everything right, but I’ve done the best I can with God’s help. I’m ready to go and be with him, for ever.”
All of the words were Ms Smith’s own and had been directly pulled from the interview conducted by her son. StoryFile does not use AI technology to put text that has been generated into people’s mouths.
Mr Smith said the experience was not strange at all and his only regret was not asking more questions during the interview.
“It was emotional. I think people were pleased to see her smile and hear her voice,” he says. “It didn’t feel spooky or like we were clinging on to her – it was natural.”
The technology works by recording participants as they answer questions about their lives. The answers are then uploaded to StoryFile’s cloud. The final product is an interactive video, ready to answer questions from loved ones as if they are having a normal conversation.
StoryFile has its own special studio for some users, but most people create their virtual self on a home computer. The idea is that future generations will be able to ask real questions and receive real answers about an ancestor’s personal story.
“There is going to be somebody that you don’t know yet, who is your great-great-great-grandchild, say, digging back into the past,” Mr Smith says. “You might be the key to information [they are looking for], you might know the family history or lineage, you might have stories they can dig into.”
The use of technology to reanimate the dead is not an entirely new phenomenon.
Long explored in science fiction, the concept recently became popular in the dystopian drama Black Mirror, created by Charlie Brooker.
In the ep isode Be Right Back, a young woman named Martha struggles to overcome her grief when her boyfriend Ash is killed in a car accident.
Martha, who finds out she is pregnant, recreates a digital version of Ash using data scraped from text messages, emails and videos. Ultimately she builds a synthetic, albeit imperfect, Ash who can walk and talk, and introduces him to their daughter.
While current technology does not allow for a carbon copy, humanoid version of oneself to be left behind for loved ones, in the digital space, things are moving quickly.
In April 2023, the South China Morning Post reported that a 24-year-old man in Shanghai had used AI to resurrect his grandmother to give him comfort after she died at 84 from coronavirus.
He used image software and old photos to create her face, and trained the AI to mimic her voice using recordings of their phone conversations.
Similarly, in South Korea, the company DeepBrain AI released a video that showed bereaved family members meeting and talking to loved ones who had passed away.
The word “griefbot” has sometimes been used online to describe such creations.
Also in South Korea, a mother burst into tears after being reunited with her seven-year-old daughter using virtual reality after the girl died from a blood disease.
“Mum, where have you been? Have you been thinking of me?” the daughter, Na-yeon, says.
“Always,” replies her mother, Jang Ji-sun.
The heart-rending footage struck a chord with many South Koreans, while highlighting the growing scope of possibilities for VR technology.
StoryFile does not currently offer its customers the ability to create a so-called griefbot, although Mr Smith says there might come a time in the future when they allow families to experiment with this.
But the technology can be imprecise. If there are secrets or finer details not picked up while gathering data, they would not be included in the bot and its subsequent personality.
“When you are a family member and you happen to know about grandpa’s blue Corvette, but grandpa didn’t talk about the blue Corvette [in his interview] … you feel like that secret has been lost a little,” Mr Smith says.
The demand for this technology stems from society’s difficulty in dealing with death, says psychologist and AI enthusiast Mike Brooks.
“Death, historically, was always final,” he tells The National. “But we have reached an inflection point in humanity, death is going to be different moving forward.”
Dr Brooks also envisions potential problems arising in the future, should griefbots become more commonplace.
He believes adverts could creep into the algorithm of such bots and worries about the trauma caused to a family should a bot’s data ever be lost.
For Mr Smith, while the technology he harnesses is all about preserving memories like those of his mother, he believes grief is an entirely personal journey.
“I don’t criticise anybody for creating a bot of their deceased family or friends,” he says. “If that is what helps you come to terms with it.”
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
WHAT ARE NFTs?
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are tokens that represent ownership of unique items. They allow the tokenisation of things such as art, collectibles and even real estate.
An NFT can have only one official owner at one time. And since they're minted and secured on the Ethereum blockchain, no one can modify the record of ownership, not even copy-paste it into a new one.
This means NFTs are not interchangeable and cannot be exchanged with other items. In contrast, fungible items, such as fiat currencies, can be exchanged because their value defines them rather than their unique properties.
SCORES IN BRIEF
New Zealand 153 and 56 for 1 in 22.4 overs at close
Pakistan 227
(Babar 62, Asad 43, Boult 4-54, De Grandhomme 2-30, Patel 2-64)
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Results
Stage 5:
1. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Team Jumbo-Visma 04:19:08
2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:03
3. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers
4. Sergio Higuita (COL) EF Education-Nippo 00:00:05
5. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:06
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 17:09:26
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers 00:00:45
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:01:12
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Team Jumbo-Visma 00:01:54
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo 00:01:56
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The results of the first round are as follows:
Qais Saied (Independent): 18.4 per cent
Nabil Karoui (Qalb Tounes): 15.58 per cent
Abdelfattah Mourou (Ennahdha party): 12.88 per cent
Abdelkarim Zbidi (two-time defence minister backed by Nidaa Tounes party): 10.7 per cent
Youssef Chahed (former prime minister, leader of Long Live Tunisia): 7.3 per cent
SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
Engine: two-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 306hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: JCW Clubman, Dh220,500; JCW Countryman, Dh225,500
'Joker'
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
Rating: Five out of five stars
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
Super Bowl LIII schedule
What Super Bowl LIII
Who is playing New England Patriots v Los Angeles Rams
Where Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States
When Sunday (start time is 3.30am on Monday UAE time)
FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Brackets denote aggregate score
Tuesday:
Roma (1) v Shakhtar Donetsk (2), 11.45pm
Manchester United (0) v Sevilla (0), 11.45pm
Wednesday:
Besiktas (0) v Bayern Munich (5), 9pm
Barcelona (1) v Chelsea (1), 11.45pm
The biog
Age: 30
Position: Senior lab superintendent at Emirates Global Aluminium
Education: Bachelor of science in chemical engineering, post graduate degree in light metal reduction technology
Favourite part of job: The challenge, because it is challenging
Favourite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Gandi
IPL 2018 FINAL
Sunrisers Hyderabad 178-6 (20 ovs)
Chennai Super Kings 181-2 (18.3 ovs)
Chennai win by eight wickets
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
