A new AI-powered app called 2wai is drawing major backlash after it was revealed that users can create interactive avatars of deceased family members. The app was co-founded by Disney Channel actor Calum Worthy, known for his work on Austin & Ally and The Act.
According to Forbes, the controversy began after Worthy posted an advertisement on X earlier this week promoting the app’s emotional use case — an expectant mother “talking” to an AI recreation of her late mother. The ad quickly went viral, sparking widespread ethical debate about whether technology should be used to simulate interactions with the dead.
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Viral Ad Shows Mother Reconnecting with Deceased Parent Through AI
The promotional video shared by Worthy shows an expectant mother using 2wai to communicate with a digital avatar of her deceased mom. The clip depicts emotional milestones — from the baby’s birth to his adulthood — as the AI avatar continues to “interact” with the family. The ad shows an expectant mother communicating with her deceased mother through the 2wai app along with the interactions the avatar will have as the baby is born, grows up, and has a family of his own, according to Forbes.
The video also details how users can generate avatars by recording a loved one speaking and moving for just three minutes, allowing the AI to mimic their voice, gestures, and responses.
Calum Worthy Defends 2wai’s Mission as a “Living Archive of Humanity”
Worthy, who co-founded the app, defended its purpose, saying the goal is to preserve human stories and memories for future generations. Worthy wrote in the post that the company is reportedly focused on “building a living archive of humanity.”
However, social media users and digital ethicists say the company’s description oversimplifies the emotional and moral implications of using AI to recreate deceased individuals.
While some praised the concept as a tool for remembrance, others accused it of being “exploitative and disturbing,” arguing that it profits from grief and could distort memories over time.
