Microsoft has filed a patent for code that can suck in a (living or dead I suppose) person’s online history and configure a chatbot to act something like them. Of course, just because they filed a patent doesn’t mean they plan widespread commercialization of the idea, just that they had an idea and don’t want others to be able to profit from the idea (which I would bet somebody else had first but didn’t file the patent…) At its most innocuous, this would not be too much different than looking up famous quotes of a famous person (let’s say Abraham Lincoln) on a particular topic, except it could apply to anyone.

This, of course, is the exact plot of Battlestar Gallactica, at least the 2004-2008 series I am most familiar with. And that was an awesome series that won over many people (my significant other included) who did not consider themselves fans of science fiction. Somewhat similar to the way Game of Thrones won over people who considered themselves too serious for fantasy. So check it out if you haven’t.