Widower creates AI clone of late actress Suzanne Somers for health advice

Alan Hamel, widower of late actress Suzanne Somers, has created an AI clone of his deceased wife to interact with fans online, two years after her death from breast cancer. The AI twin, trained on Somers’ 27 books and hundreds of interviews, will serve as a 24/7 chatbot on SuzanneSomers.com to answer health-related questions from her followers.

What you should know: The AI version of Somers was actually her own idea before she passed away in October 2023.

• “It was Suzanne’s idea. And she said, ‘I think we should do that,'” Hamel told People magazine. “She said, ‘I think it’ll be very interesting and we’ll provide a service to my fans and to people who have been reading my books who really want and need information about their health.'”
• Somers, who starred in “Three’s Company” and “Step by Step,” died at age 76 after building a personal fortune as a health and fitness author and pitchwoman.

How it works: The development team trained the AI system using comprehensive data from Somers’ extensive body of work and media appearances.

• The AI was fed “all of Suzanne’s 27 books and a lot of interviews that she has done, hundreds of interviews, so that she’s really ready to be able to be asked any question at all and be able to answer it, because the answer will be within her.”
• When fans ask health questions, the AI will direct them to answers from medical doctors Somers previously interviewed, rather than generating its own responses.

What they’re saying: Hamel, 89, expressed amazement at the AI’s visual and conversational accuracy after 55 years of marriage to Somers.

• “When you look at the finished one next to the real Suzanne, you can’t tell the difference. It’s amazing,” he said. “When I just look at the two of them side by side, I really can’t tell which one is the real and which one is the AI.”
• “The first time I spoke to Suzanne AI, for the first two or three minutes, it was a little strange. But after that, I forgot about the fact that I was talking to a robot and asking her questions and getting answers.”

Why this matters: The project represents a growing trend of using AI to preserve and extend the legacy of deceased public figures, particularly those who built careers around personal advice and wellness guidance. For Somers’ dedicated fanbase, the AI twin offers continued access to her health philosophy and expertise even after her passing.