Transparency
All AI-generated content is clearly disclosed. Users always know they are interacting with an AI system, not a person.
Umbrella Research
A research-driven team building ethical, human-centered AI — from personal memory reflection to real-time interactive venue guides.
Who we are
Umbrella Research builds AI that serves people — not the other way around. We are a small team that prioritizes responsible design over rapid commercialization.
Our work sits at the intersection of neural rendering, real-time voice AI, and ethics. We combine Gaussian Splatting, Gemini Live, and custom audio-to-expression pipelines into products that did not exist before.
We power two products: AfterLight, a reflective space for organizing and revisiting memories of a loved one, and ALIVE, an AI-powered avatar guide that brings physical venues to life through natural voice conversation.
Introducing Umbrella Research
Who we are, what we believe, and why we build the way we do.
User agency
Users decide what memories to share and how to interact. They can stop, delete, or modify their experience at any time.
Restraint
We do not collect more than necessary or share data with third parties. Personal memories are treated with care.
Research-driven
Every design decision is grounded in ethical reasoning, not market pressure. We move deliberately, not fast.
Dr. Robert Gall
Founder & CEO
Leads research and engineering — from neural rendering pipelines to real-time voice AI. Drives the technical vision behind both AfterLight and ALIVE.
LinkedInCarmen Gall
Co-Founder & COO/CFO
Responsible for partnerships, funding, and operations across the EU. Brings extensive experience in business, banking, and finance to Umbrella Research.
LinkedInWe build slowly, because what we’re building matters slowly.
Umbrella Research
Why ethics come first
Our products work with personal memory and public interaction — both demand a level of care that goes beyond standard privacy practices.
We designed our ethical framework before writing a single line of code. The principles below are not aspirational. They are architectural constraints that shape what our systems can and cannot do.
Representation, not resurrection
Avatars reflect memories shared by the user. They do not claim to be, replace, or simulate a real person.
Transparency
All AI-generated content is clearly disclosed. Users always know they are interacting with an AI system, not a person.
No therapeutic claims
AfterLight is not therapy, counseling, or a medical tool. It does not diagnose, treat, or advise on mental health.
User control
Users decide what memories to share and how to interact. They can stop, delete, or modify their experience at any time.
No exploitation of grief
The system is designed to support healthy reflection, not to create emotional dependency or manipulate vulnerable users.
Privacy and restraint
Personal data and memories are treated with care. The system does not collect more than necessary or share data with third parties.
The right question is not “what can we build?” but “what should we build — and what should we refuse to?”
Umbrella Research