Disney Channel alum Calum Worthy cofounded a new app, and people have strong opinions about it.
Worthy, who played Dez Wade on the Disney Channel original series “Austin & Ally,” shared a video promoting the app via X on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
The advertisement shows a pregnant woman talking to her mother on a video call, receiving advice about her pregnancy. As the video goes on, it becomes clear that the mother is no longer alive. However, she’s still able to chat with her grandson as he grows up. Worthy plays an adult version of the grandson, calling to tell his late grandmother that he’s expecting his first baby.
At the end of the video, we see how the app, which is called 2wai, works. When the mother was still alive, her daughter recorded a three-minute video of her so 2wai could recreate her likeness.
Calum Worthy.Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
“With 2wai, three minutes can last forever,” the video promises.
Worthy captioned the ad: “What if the loved ones we’ve lost could be part of our future?”
X users flocked to the comments section to condemn the app’s dystopian purpose.
“This is one of the most vile things I’ve seen in my life,” wrote Alex Hirsh, the creator of the animated Disney Channel series “Gravity Falls.”
“Demonic, dishonest, and dehumanizing. If I die and you put words in my mouth I will curse you for all eternity. My value dies with me. I’m not a f—ing avatar,” another person commented.
Others pointed out that the app would prevent humans from confronting the natural cycle of life.
“Oh goody, another way for people to completely lose touch with reality and avoid the normal process of grief,” one X user wrote.
“Death and Loss is a normal part of life. You’re creating dependent and lobotomized adults by doing this,” another chimed in.
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Some commenters also poked fun at the bizarre concept of paying to remain in contact with loved ones who have passed.
“Hey so what if we just don’t do subscription-model necromancy?” one person quipped.
“If you don’t go subscription, your dead loved ones will do ad reads,” another joked.
The beta version of 2wai is currently free to download on the app store, but according to Newsweek, the app will later shift to a subscription based-model.
Several X users compared Worthy’s new busines venture to a season 2 episode of the dystopian sci-fi anthology series “Black Mirror.” In the episode, which is titled “Be Right Back,” a woman (Hayley Atwell) communicates with an artificial intelligence version of her dead boyfriend, Ash (Domhnall Gleeson).
2wai isn’t just for communicating with dead relatives. The app also features “fictional, historical, and celebrity” avatars.
“Welcome to 2wai, where human connection is reimagined in the age of AI. We are the world’s first social app for AI avatars of real humans,” the app’s description reads.
There’s even a chatbot of Worthy himself on 2wai.
“Having worked as an actor, writer and producer for the last 20 years, I experienced firsthand how challenging it is to create a meaningful relationship with fans around the world,” Worthy told Variety in June. “2wai really puts the control back in the hands of the artists. This lets them engage fans 24-7 without needing to be online all the time. This platform enables this one-on-one, human-like connection.”
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