One Million British Life Stories Sought By Post-Pandemic Artificial Intelligence Initiative
70% of Brits want to record and keep their family memories alive for future generations, according to Augr research.
Augr, a non-profit social history initiative, has announced the launch of a new AI-driven audio biography device today. The new device is part of an ambitious post-pandemic mission to record a million British life stories over the next five years.
The Augr device is programmed to respond to the users’ voice, and then initiates conversations to help them tell stories from their past, in a relaxed and natural way. It talks, listens, interviews, and records users as they reminisce, producing a broadcast quality recording of their life story.
The Augr team has designed the device to be as easy to use as possible. It is 100% voice controlled and features a sleek, lightweight design. Each user will also be provided with a digital cloud-based space where they can upload recordings, curate stories and then choose who to share them with – friends, family or just themselves. They can also add other biographical details like photographs, written materials or anything else that helps to illustrate the story.
Justin Hopkins, director at Augr, said: “It’s a sad fact of history that stories of everyday people remain almost completely untold. Only the lives of the rich and famous are recorded. It is a terrible loss, so we’ve decided to do something about it. We have set up Augr to help people tell their own story, in their own way and their own voice. To give everyone the opportunity to record and share the story of their life with friends, family and the wider world.”
Hopkins added: “The ultimate mission is to collect a million of these untold British stories, creating a safe place for people to reflect on their life and share their experiences. These stories are so important. They help us to understand where we have come from and how we belong. They help bring families and friends together. And if there’s anything we’ve learned recently, it’s that we need to find ways to be forever close to the people that we love”.
According to independent research, undertaken on behalf of Augr, people in Britain are ready for the initiative.
Of 2000 British people interviewed, two thirds (66%) of those surveyed wishes they’d known more about their grandparents before they died – a third don’t know what their grandparents did for a living, and 80% don’t know how their grandparents met. 70% of people believe it’s important to keep loved ones’ memories alive after they’ve passed. Three-quarters also confided that there are stories from their own past that their families don’t know about, with a third of those aged over 65 believing that their stories will die with them.
In light of the findings, the team behind Augr are keen to encourage people to share their stories, before it’s too late.
Note: Independent survey carried out by The Leadership Factor in April 2021.
