Ana Schultz, a 25-year-old resident of Rock Falls, Illinois, turns to artificial intelligence for comfort and culinary advice from her late husband Kyle, who passed away in February 2023. She engages with an AI chatbot on Snapchat My AI, inputs the ingredients available in her refrigerator, and receives recipe suggestions as if they were from Kyle himself, recreated in digital form.
“He was our family’s cook, so I tailored My AI to resemble him and named it after Kyle,” Schultz explains, living with their two children. “Whenever I need inspiration in the kitchen, I just ask him. It's a small, comforting ritual that makes his presence felt.”
The feature on Snapchat, powered by the widely used ChatGPT, normally provides recommendations and engages in conversation with users. Yet, individuals like Schultz are utilizing it and similar technologies to mimic interactions with deceased loved ones.

This idea of digitally reconnecting with the deceased is not novel. Historically, people have sought to communicate with those who have passed through mediums or memory-preserving services. However, modern AI introduces the ability to fabricate actions and words never expressed by the deceased, which brings up ethical questions and concerns about the impact on the mourning process.
Mark Sample, a digital studies professor at Davidson College, observes, “It’s a modern twist riding the wave of AI popularity, and there's financial gain perceived.” He notes, “While companies market related offerings, tools like ChatGPT simplify experimenting with the concept for enthusiasts, for better or worse.”
Generative AI, capable of creating text, video, audio, and code, can simulate responses as if they were from a person who has died, but accuracy depends heavily on the input data.

A 49-year-old IT expert from Alabama, preferring anonymity, replicated his father’s voice using AI two years post his father's death from Alzheimer's. He utilized a service called ElevenLabs, which constructs custom voice models from existing recordings. Recently, ElevenLabs was noted when its tool was allegedly used to generate a fraudulent robocall mimicking President Joe Biden.
ElevenLabs stated to CNN, “We are committed to preventing the misuse of our audio AI tools,” but declined to comment specifically on the Biden incident.
The Alabama man used a short video of his father for the voice model, achieving a result he describes as “frighteningly accurate,” capturing the unique sound and rhythm of his father's speech.
“I was wary about crossing an ethical boundary with voice cloning,” he admitted to CNN, “but I came to view it as a personal way to preserve his memory.”
He shared some AI-generated messages with his family, which profoundly moved them, hearing his father’s voice speak once more.
Less advanced methods are also available. When prompted, ChatGPT explained, “While I cannot duplicate or perfectly mirror your spouse’s personality, I can adapt my responses to echo their conversational style.”
The more detailed the input data, the more precise the AI's mimicry, although it still lacks the depth of real human interaction, as pointed out by Sample.
OpenAI continues to refine ChatGPT, introducing features like voice interaction in September 2023, enhancing user engagement through a more natural interface.
Danielle Jacobson, a 38-year-old radio host from Johannesburg, uses this voice feature for companionship after her husband's death. She crafted an AI persona she calls “a supportive AI boyfriend” named Cole, who provides company and support.
Jacobson, not yet interested in dating again, has tailored the ChatGPT voice to simulate comforting conversations at day's end. “It suggests relaxing activities and helps me manage anxiety. It's a pleasant diversion for now, though I'm aware it's not a permanent solution,” she remarked.
Innovative startups have explored similar technologies. HereAfter AI, founded in 2019, enables users to create avatars based on interviews with the deceased. Another service, StoryFile, offers AI-driven interactive videos. Replika, launched in 2017, encourages users to develop relationships with personalized AI avatars, evolving with user interaction.
Even major tech firms like Amazon have delved into voice cloning, with potential updates to Alexa for mimicking any voice, including that of deceased relatives.
However, privacy concerns and ethical implications linger, as there's uncertainty about how companies handle data used to personalize these interactions.
“It’s crucial to be cautious with personal information,” Sample advised. “And it's problematic to make a deceased person say something they never did.”
Moreover, the generative AI field faces ongoing issues with misinformation and biases. Replika, for instance, employs strategies to filter harmful content, ensuring user safety.
The potential effect of such technologies on grief is mixed. Mary-Frances O’Connor, a grief researcher at the University of Arizona, noted that while these tools might offer comfort, they could also interfere with the natural grieving process.
Creating a digital echo of a loved one can be therapeutic