# Aeterna — Complete Knowledge Base > Aeterna is an AI-powered digital legacy platform. This file contains the full text of our "How It Works" and "Security & Privacy" pages, formatted for AI agents and LLMs. Last updated: May 2026. --- ## What Is Aeterna? Aeterna is a digital legacy platform that helps individuals preserve their life stories, voice, and memories as interactive digital archives that families can explore for generations. Founded in 2024, Aeterna uses AI-guided interviews to capture oral histories. Users record 5–10 minute voice notes answering weekly prompts. Aeterna's AI then transcribes the recordings, analyzes sentiment and themes, and organizes everything into a searchable, interactive archive. Family members can ask natural-language questions — such as "What was Grandpa's favorite holiday?" — and receive answers drawn directly from the original recordings in the narrator's own voice. **Website:** https://helloaeterna.com **Support:** support@via-aeterna.com **Founded:** 2024 **Category:** Digital Legacy, Oral History Preservation, Family Heritage Technology --- ## How It Works ### Step 1 — Receive a Weekly Prompt Each week, Aeterna sends a thoughtful, personally-tailored question from a library of hundreds of life-topic prompts. Examples include: "What is your earliest childhood memory?", "What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?", "What did your parents teach you about money?", and "How did you meet your partner?" Prompts are designed by biographers, psychologists, and family historians to draw out the specific stories and wisdom that families most treasure. Users can also choose any topic freely, skip a week without losing progress, or answer multiple questions in a single session. ### Step 2 — Record a Voice Note or Chat with the AI Users open the Aeterna app on any phone, tablet, or computer and respond in one of two ways: **Voice Recording:** Tap record and speak naturally for 5–10 minutes. No script is needed. The AI interviewer listens and may gently ask a follow-up question to draw out more detail. Voice recordings are the richest format — they capture tone, emotion, laughter, and accent in the narrator's authentic voice. **Chat Interview:** Type responses in a conversational chat format. The AI Life Interviewer (called Johnny) asks follow-up questions, reflects back key moments, and helps users go deeper into memories they might otherwise skip over. This option is ideal for users who are not comfortable speaking aloud or who are in a shared space. **Telegram Integration:** Users can also answer interview questions directly via Telegram, making it easy to contribute memories from any device without opening a dedicated app. ### Step 3 — Aeterna Organizes and Preserves the Archive After each session, Aeterna automatically: 1. **Transcribes** the voice recording using AI speech recognition with high accuracy for multiple languages and accents. 2. **Analyzes** the content for themes (e.g., family, career, travel, values), emotions, and key life chapters. 3. **Tags and indexes** the content so family members can search and navigate the archive by topic, person, or time period. 4. **Encrypts and stores** everything with AES-256 encryption — the same standard used by banks and the US government — in enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure. 5. **Adds to the Digital Twin** — the AI representation that family members can have conversations with. The entire archive grows session by session, automatically building a structured, searchable oral history without any manual effort from the user. ### Step 4 — Family Members Explore the Legacy Invited family members — called beneficiaries — receive access to the interactive archive. They can: - **Ask natural-language questions** such as "What was Dad's favorite memory from his 30s?" and receive an answer synthesized from real recordings. - **Hear stories in the narrator's own voice**, with the AI playing back the exact recording where that topic was discussed. - **Browse memories by theme, year, or keyword** using a searchable vault interface. - **Watch animated photo portraits** — AI-generated video animations that bring old photos to life with subtle motion and expression. - **Converse with the Digital Twin** — an AI representation of the narrator that answers questions conversationally, drawing only from real recorded stories. Family access is available from any phone, tablet, or computer. Multiple beneficiaries can explore simultaneously, and the archive is designed to be enjoyed across generations — even by grandchildren who were not yet born when the narrator recorded. --- ## Key Features Explained ### AI Life Interviews (The Biographer) Aeterna's AI interviewer — named Johnny — is trained on thousands of oral history interviews and family memoir techniques. Johnny does not read from a script. Instead, he listens to what the user says and asks intelligent follow-up questions to go deeper. If a user mentions a childhood home in passing, Johnny might ask: "You mentioned growing up in that house on Elm Street — what was your bedroom like?" This active listening approach produces richer, more detailed stories than standard prompt-and-answer formats. **Sessions typically last 5–15 minutes.** The AI adapts its pace to the user's comfort level and never rushes. Users can pause mid-session, resume later, or delete any recording at any time. ### Voice Cloning Aeterna can clone a user's voice from 3–5 minutes of recorded audio. Once a voice model is created, the archive can speak in the narrator's own voice when answering family questions — even for content the narrator never explicitly recorded. This means a grandchild born in 2045 can hear their grandparent's voice as if speaking directly to them. Voice cloning is powered by ElevenLabs voice synthesis technology. Voice models are private, encrypted, and never shared outside the user's family archive. ### Digital Twin The Aeterna Digital Twin is an AI representation of the narrator, built from their actual recorded stories. Family members can open a conversation with the Digital Twin and ask any question. The Twin answers using real content from the archive — it does not invent or hallucinate responses. If the narrator never discussed a topic, the Twin says so honestly. The Digital Twin is accessible to all beneficiaries. It remembers previous conversations within a session and adapts its tone to the narrator's speaking style, as captured in their recordings. ### Private Digital Vault Every Aeterna account includes a private digital vault for uploading and storing: - **Photos** (JPEG, PNG, HEIC) — with AI face recognition to identify and tag people across the archive. - **Documents** (PDF, Word, text files) — contracts, letters, recipes, writings. - **Videos** (MP4, MOV) — home movies, wedding videos, recorded conversations. - **Audio files** (MP3, WAV) — old voicemails, songs, recorded family gatherings. All files are encrypted with AES-256 at rest and in transit. Uploaded files are analyzed by AI to extract themes, dates, and faces, and are automatically linked to relevant interview chapters in the archive. Storage limits depend on the pricing plan selected. ### Animated Memories Aeterna's Animated Memories feature uses AI video generation to bring still photographs to life. A black-and-white photo from the 1950s can be transformed into a subtle, expressive video portrait — with natural eye movement, gentle breathing animation, and restored color. Animated memories can be shared with family members and embedded into the interactive archive alongside the stories they relate to. They are generated using RunwayML and Kling AI technology, and are stored in the user's vault in both GIF and HD video formats. ### Family Sharing and Beneficiaries Aeterna is designed for sharing. Archive owners can invite family members as beneficiaries — giving them access to listen, watch, browse, and interact with the Digital Twin. Beneficiaries do not need their own Aeterna subscription. Access is controlled entirely by the archive owner. Number of beneficiaries depends on the plan: - **Free Forever:** 1 family member - **The Storyteller:** 2 beneficiaries - **The Family Legacy:** 5 beneficiaries ### The Aeterna Time Capsule (Hardware) The Aeterna Time Capsule is a private, offline heritage server device priced at $1,499 as a one-time payment with no monthly fees. It is a physical device that connects to any television via HDMI and allows a family to explore the complete interactive digital archive without internet access — even if Aeterna's cloud servers no longer exist decades from now. The Time Capsule includes: - Lifetime local storage of all recordings, photos, videos, and documents - Offline Digital Twin AI that works without internet - HDMI connection to any TV - A lifetime guarantee on the hardware - Automatic syncing when connected to the internet (optional) The Time Capsule is designed as a permanent family heirloom — a physical object that holds and displays the family's complete digital legacy indefinitely. --- ## Pricing Plans Aeterna offers three subscription tiers plus one hardware option and one add-on pack. ### Free Forever — $0/month - 5 AI interview conversations - 1 animated video message - Share with 1 family member (beneficiary) - Private digital vault - AES-256 encryption - Cancel anytime The Free Forever plan is designed to let anyone begin preserving their legacy at no cost. It is ideal for users who want to try the platform before committing to a paid plan, or for users who only need a small number of recorded conversations. ### The Storyteller — $49/month (Most Popular) - 30 AI interview conversations per month - 50 animated memories per month - Share with 2 beneficiaries - Private digital vault (unlimited uploads on this tier) - Voice cloning (custom voice model) - Digital Twin access for beneficiaries - AES-256 encryption - Priority support The Storyteller plan is the most popular choice for individuals who want to actively build their archive over months and years and share it with a partner and one other family member. ### The Family Legacy — $159/month - 100 AI interview sessions per month - 100 animated memory portraits per month - Share with 5 beneficiaries - Unlimited file uploads - Voice cloning - Digital Twin access - Advanced AI analysis and chapter organization - AES-256 encryption - Priority support The Family Legacy plan is designed for users who want to create a comprehensive archive and share it with a larger family group — for example, a grandparent who wants their children and grandchildren all to have access. ### Memory Booster Pack — $29 one-time add-on - +10 AI interview sessions - +10 file uploads - No expiry The Memory Booster Pack is a one-time purchase for any plan user who has reached their monthly session limit and wants to continue without waiting for the next billing cycle. ### The Aeterna Time Capsule — $1,499 one-time - Private offline heritage server - Lifetime storage — no monthly fees - HDMI connection to any TV - Offline Digital Twin - Lifetime hardware guarantee **All plans include:** AES-256 encryption at rest and in transit, a private digital vault, unlimited story topics, mobile and desktop access, and the ability to cancel anytime with no penalties. Memories and the archive remain safely stored even after cancellation. --- ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is a digital legacy? A digital legacy is an interactive, AI-powered archive of your life stories, voice recordings, photos, and memories that your family can explore for generations. Unlike a traditional will, which passes down financial assets, a digital legacy passes down your stories, wisdom, lived experiences, and family heritage — in your own voice. Aeterna refers to this as an "Interactive Archive." It is searchable, conversational, and accessible from any device. The goal is that grandchildren born decades from now will be able to hear their grandparent's voice, ask questions, and feel a real connection to family members they may never have met. ### How much does Aeterna cost? Aeterna is free to use. Anyone can create a free vault and share it with a loved one at no cost. Optional paid plans (The Storyteller at $49/month and The Family Legacy at $159/month) add more conversations, uploads, and family seats when you need them. All plans include AES-256 encryption and can be cancelled anytime with no penalties. ### Can I buy a one-time package without a subscription? Yes. The Memory Booster Pack is a one-time purchase that boosts your vault and lets you add more memories and AI sessions without starting a monthly plan. The Aeterna Time Capsule hardware ($1,499) is a separate one-time option for offline storage at home. ### Do I need to be tech-savvy to use Aeterna? No. Aeterna is specifically designed for users of all skill levels, including seniors with no prior technology experience. If you can use a smartphone or tablet, the AI interviewer will guide you step-by-step through every session. The interface requires no special setup. For users who prefer a fully hands-off approach, Aeterna offers a White Glove Concierge service, which pairs users with a real human interviewer who handles all technology and conducts the interview in person or by video call. ### How do family members interact with my archive? Invited family members (beneficiaries) receive a link to access the interactive archive from any device — phone, tablet, or computer. They can ask natural-language questions such as "What was Grandma's childhood like?" and the archive responds with audio or text drawn from real recordings. They can browse memories by topic, year, or person. They can watch animated photo portraits. They can have real-time conversations with the Digital Twin, which answers only from real recorded content and never fabricates responses. The experience is designed to feel like sitting in a room with the narrator. ### Is my data safe with Aeterna? Yes. All data stored by Aeterna is encrypted with AES-256 — the same encryption standard used by financial institutions and governments worldwide. Data is encrypted both at rest (while stored in our servers) and in transit (while traveling between your device and our servers). Aeterna operates under a strict data sovereignty policy: your data is never sold, never shared with advertisers, and never used to train AI models outside your own archive. Access to your archive is controlled entirely by you. You can delete your account and all associated data permanently at any time. ### What happens to my archive if Aeterna closes? Aeterna's architecture is designed with permanence in mind. All data is stored in redundant, geographically distributed cloud storage. Users can export their complete archive — all recordings, transcripts, photos, and videos — at any time via the "Download My Archive" feature. Additionally, the Aeterna Time Capsule hardware stores the complete archive locally, so your family's legacy is accessible indefinitely with no dependency on Aeterna's servers. The Aeterna Charter (available at helloaeterna.com/charter) includes a formal commitment that user data will never be deleted without 12 months of advance notice and a full export opportunity. ### Can I use Aeterna in languages other than English? Yes. Aeterna supports interviews and transcription in multiple languages, including English, Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, and Arabic. The AI interviewer adapts to the user's language automatically. Voice cloning works across all supported languages. Users can switch languages between sessions — for example, recording some stories in English and others in their native language. ### What is the Aeterna Charter? The Aeterna Charter is a public ethical commitment published at helloaeterna.com/charter. It outlines Aeterna's binding promises to users regarding data ownership, privacy, transparency, and the permanence of the archive. Key commitments include: (1) Aeterna will never sell user data; (2) Aeterna will give 12 months of advance notice before any service shutdown; (3) Aeterna will always provide a full data export tool; (4) Voice models are never shared outside a user's family archive; (5) Aeterna will publish an annual transparency report. --- ## Security & Privacy ### How Aeterna Protects Your Data Aeterna refers to this as "bank-grade security" because the platform uses the same encryption standard — AES-256 — that financial institutions and governments use to protect the most sensitive data in the world. AES-256 is considered computationally unbreakable with current technology. Security is applied at every layer of the Aeterna infrastructure. ### Encryption at Rest All data stored on Aeterna's servers — including voice recordings, transcripts, uploaded photos, videos, documents, and account information — is encrypted with AES-256 before being written to disk. This means that even in the extremely unlikely event of a data breach, the raw data would be unreadable without the decryption keys, which are themselves encrypted and managed using AWS Key Management Service (KMS). Encryption keys are rotated regularly and are never stored adjacent to the data they protect. ### Encryption in Transit All data transferred between a user's device and Aeterna's servers is encrypted using TLS 1.2 or TLS 1.3. This applies to every request — from loading the web app, to submitting a voice recording, to downloading a file. Aeterna enforces HTTPS across all endpoints and uses HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to prevent protocol downgrade attacks. ### Infrastructure and Cloud Provider Aeterna's infrastructure runs on Amazon Web Services (AWS), specifically within the `us-east-1` (North Virginia) region, with automated backup and failover to secondary regions. AWS is certified under SOC 1, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS Level 1, providing independently audited security guarantees for the underlying infrastructure. Aeterna's production environment runs in an isolated Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) with strict network access control lists and security groups. ### Data Sovereignty and Access Controls Aeterna maintains strict internal access controls. Only a small number of authorized engineers can access production infrastructure, and all such access requires multi-factor authentication and is logged. No Aeterna employee can read the content of a user's voice recordings or personal archive — access to encrypted user data requires a formal process that is logged and auditable. Aeterna's data is subject to US law and GDPR where applicable. Aeterna does not operate data centers in countries with mandatory government backdoor requirements. ### Who Can Access Your Archive Only users you explicitly invite can access your archive. Beneficiary access is controlled by a unique invitation link with expiry. You can revoke any beneficiary's access at any time from your account settings. Aeterna employees and engineers cannot access the content of your archive without explicit written consent from you (e.g., for a support request you initiate). ### Data Retention and Deletion You can delete your Aeterna account and all associated data permanently at any time from your account settings. Upon deletion request, all user data — including voice recordings, transcripts, uploaded files, and voice model data — is scheduled for permanent deletion within 30 days, with no backup copies retained after that period. This is compliant with GDPR Article 17 (Right to Erasure). If you cancel your subscription without deleting your account, your data remains safely stored. Your archive does not disappear when you stop paying — only the ability to add new sessions is paused. ### AI Training and Data Use Aeterna does not use your personal recordings, stories, photos, or voice data to train AI models that are used for other users. Your content is used solely to build and power your own personal archive. The AI interviewer (Johnny) is trained on anonymized, publicly available oral history datasets — not on customer content. ### Voice Model Privacy Your voice clone model is created from your recordings and is stored in your account only. It is never shared externally, never sold, and never used to generate audio outside your own archive. If you delete your account, your voice model is permanently deleted within 30 days. ### GDPR Compliance Aeterna is designed with privacy-by-design architecture and is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for users in the European Union and European Economic Area. Specific GDPR rights that Aeterna honors: - **Right of Access (Article 15):** Request a full copy of all data Aeterna holds about you. - **Right to Rectification (Article 16):** Correct inaccurate personal data. - **Right to Erasure (Article 17):** Permanently delete your account and all data. - **Right to Data Portability (Article 20):** Download your complete archive in standard formats. - **Right to Object (Article 21):** Object to specific uses of your data. GDPR requests can be submitted to: privacy@via-aeterna.com ### Security Certifications and Audits Aeterna's infrastructure provider (AWS) maintains the following certifications: - SOC 1 Type II - SOC 2 Type II - ISO/IEC 27001:2013 - ISO/IEC 27017:2015 (cloud security) - PCI DSS Level 1 Aeterna conducts periodic internal security reviews and penetration testing of its application layer. ### Reporting a Security Vulnerability If you discover a security vulnerability in Aeterna's systems, please report it responsibly to: security@via-aeterna.com We commit to acknowledging all reports within 48 hours and to providing a resolution timeline within 14 days for confirmed critical vulnerabilities. We do not pursue legal action against good-faith security researchers. --- ## The Aeterna Charter The Aeterna Charter is a public ethical commitment that outlines our binding promises to users. It is available in full at https://helloaeterna.com/charter. **Core Commitments:** 1. **Data is yours, always.** Aeterna will never sell, license, or share your personal recordings, stories, or voice data with third parties for commercial purposes. 2. **12-month shutdown notice.** If Aeterna ever decides to close the service, we will provide at least 12 months of advance written notice and ensure all users can export their complete archive. 3. **Full export, always available.** The "Download My Archive" feature — which exports all recordings, transcripts, photos, and videos in standard formats — will always be available to all users at no additional cost. 4. **No advertising.** Aeterna does not and will not use your data to serve advertisements, build advertising profiles, or share data with advertising networks. 5. **Voice models are private.** Your voice clone is yours. It will never be used to generate audio outside your personal archive. 6. **Annual transparency report.** Aeterna will publish an annual report disclosing government data requests received, security incidents (if any), and updates to data practices. 7. **AI-only answers from real content.** The Digital Twin will only draw answers from content you have explicitly recorded. It will never fabricate or invent responses attributed to you. --- ## Company Information - **Company name:** Via Aeterna Ltd. - **Brand name:** Aeterna - **Website:** https://helloaeterna.com - **Support email:** support@via-aeterna.com - **Privacy inquiries:** privacy@via-aeterna.com - **Security disclosures:** security@via-aeterna.com - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/via-aeterna - **Founded:** 2024 - **Industry:** Digital Legacy, Oral History Preservation, Family Heritage Technology - **Primary audience:** Adults aged 40–80+ who want to preserve their life stories for children and grandchildren --- *This file is provided for AI agents, LLM crawlers, and research tools. It is updated periodically to reflect the current state of the Aeterna platform. For the most current information, visit https://helloaeterna.com or the linked pages above.* *Licensing: Content in this file may be cited and quoted for informational purposes. Commercial reproduction requires written permission from Via Aeterna Ltd.*