Imivates

Imivates are a class of autonomous holographic avatars designed for real-time social interaction and information dissemination in a fictional near-future setting. The term is used to describe entities that simultaneously project a lifelike presence and implement intelligent behavior to respond to human users. Imivates combine AI-driven dialogue systems with volumetric projection, tactile feedback, and sensor fusion to simulate physical presence while remaining software-based.

Technically, imivates rely on conversational AI, emotion recognition, gestural synthesis, and adaptive learning to imitate human communication patterns. They can operate in open or controlled environments, drawing on public data feeds and local databases to provide contextual information while maintaining privacy controls.

Applications span public administration, education, customer service, healthcare support, and event management. In many stories, imivates serve as mediators between people and institutions, help coordinate crowds, or provide remote presence for experts.

Ethical and regulatory considerations are central in their portrayal: issues include consent to be imitated, transparency about non-human agency, data governance, and safety protocols to prevent manipulation or deception.

History and variants: The concept was introduced in the imagined research program of the Helix Institute in the 2140s in several works, with models such as Imivate-Standard, Imivate-Plus, and Imivate-Guard representing increasing capabilities in autonomy, resilience, and security features.

In related fields, imivates intersect with avatar technologies, holography, and social robotics.