How one artist used AI to preserve her grandfather's legacy

By Manoush Zomorodi,

Katie Monteleone, Sanaz Meshkinpour

Published January 24, 2025 at 9:51 AM EST

Amy Kurzweil never met her grandfather Fred. But with the help of AI and an extensive archive of Fred's writings, she was able to "speak" with him in the form of a chatbot... decades after his death.

About Amy Kurzweil

Amy Kurzweil is a cartoonist for The New Yorker and the author of Artificial: A Love Story, a memoir of her father's quest to construct an AI chatbot modeled on her grandfather's writings.

She's is also the author of Flying Couch: A Graphic Memoir and Forever Poems for Now and Then.
Copyright 2025 NPR

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Ted Radio Hour

Manoush Zomorodi

Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.

Katie Monteleone

Katie Monteleone is a producer for TED Radio Hour. She started out as an intern for the show in January 2019. After her internship, Monteleone began producing for Life Kit before returning to the TED Radio Hour team in October 2019 as a full-time producer.

Sanaz Meshkinpour