Exploring AI's role in simulating the deceased
AI startups are making "grief bots"—digital versions of people who have passed away—so loved ones can chat with them after they're gone. Using advanced language models, these bots can sound and act like the real person. Companies like Project December, StoryFile, and You, Only Virtual are leading this new wave of "grief tech."
Some find comfort in these digital connections
You, Only Virtual creates Versonas (AI voices you can call), while StoryFile builds video avatars that hold conversations. Some find comfort in these digital connections; Justin Harrison, who made a Versona of his late mom, says it helped him cope. But others worry it might be emotionally confusing—filmmaker Hans Block called the experience "very unsettling." So while grief bots offer new ways to remember and heal, they also raise big questions about privacy and how we process loss.