Editor’s note: The sharing of any non-VA information does not constitute an endorsement of products and services on the part of VA. Veterans should verify the information with the organization offering.
I served eight years in the U.S. Army. The people I served with were more than their rank. They were their stories: where they grew up, who raised them, what they carried home.
Too often, those stories leave with them. Families keep the photos, but not the person’s own words. So I built Chapter3Five. Its mission is simple: Nobody grieves alone.
What is Chapter3Five?
Chapter3Five asks you 45 questions about your life. They cover where you come from, what you believe, whom you love and what you have lived through.
You answer in your own words, a few sentences at a time, to create an archive of your memories.
When you finish, you receive a code you can share with the people you choose. The app uses your recorded answers to create an AI-generated representation that family members can interact with through messages. That representation is not you, and its responses may be inaccurate or out of character.
The app also offers AI companions you can message at any time, even at 2 a.m. These companions are not real people. Message limits and charges depend on the plan and features you use.
Who is it for?
Chapter3Five is for Veterans who want to preserve their stories for their families. Family members, caregivers, hospice teams and senior living staff can also help Veterans record their memories.
The app is not therapy, medical care or crisis intervention, and it does not replace support from a real person. For immediate crisis support, contact the Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988, then press 1.
How do I sign up?
Start at chapter3five.app and create an account.
Recording your own life story and creating a code to share with family are available on the free plan. Other features cost money. The website currently lists a one-time $4.99 charge to open a shared inheritance code, along with paid subscriptions and optional add-ons. Review the current pricing before signing up or sharing a code.
What happens after I sign up?
You answer at your own pace. A family member, volunteer or caregiver can sit with you and type while you talk.
When you finish, you can share the code with your family so they can access the AI-generated representation based on your recorded answers, subject to the app’s terms and applicable charges. The representation is not the person whose memories were recorded.
Before recording or sharing personal information, review the app’s privacy policy, terms of service and account settings.
Why this matters
Since 2013, VA’s My Life, My Story program has helped thousands of Veterans tell their stories. Writers interview Veterans and prepare brief life histories that, with permission, become part of their medical records. Veterans also receive copies to share with family and friends.
Chapter3Five offers a separate way to record personal memories and create an AI-generated representation from those responses. Unlike a written life history, that representation generates conversational responses and may make errors.
Learn more at chapter3five.app.
Read the Military.com story about Chapter3Five.
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