Select Language:
AI technology is providing innovative ways to digitally preserve loved ones, from voice replication to creating virtual avatars. While these tools offer new methods of remembrance, they also raise important questions about data privacy, consent, and the emotional impact on those grieving.
Diego Felix Dos Santos never expected to hear his late father’s voice again—until AI made it possible. “The tone of the voice is nearly perfect,” he shares. “It feels like he’s here with me.” After his father’s sudden passing last year, Dos Santos traveled from Scotland to Brazil to be with family. Once back home, he realized he didn’t have many mementos of his dad, apart from a voice message his father had sent from the hospital. Utilizing Eleven Labs, an AI-powered voice generation platform launched in 2022, Dos Santos paid a monthly fee to upload the recording and create new messages that mimic his father’s voice, enabling conversations they never had.
From the app, his father’s voice greets him with, “Hi son, how are you?” much like their weekly calls. It also adds, “Kisses. I love you, bossy,” a nickname from his childhood. Although initially hesitant—especially from his religious family—Dos Santos says they now support his decision to communicate with his father’s digital likeness. His family, including his wife who was diagnosed with cancer in 2013, is even contemplating creating AI clones of themselves.
This scenario exemplifies a growing trend in AI—people utilizing it not just to generate digital representations, but to simulate the deceased. As these technologies become more accessible and personalized, experts warn about the ethical and emotional challenges they pose, such as issues of consent, data security, and the commercial motives influencing their development.
The “grief tech” industry has expanded rapidly, fueled by startups like StoryFile—offering AI video recordings for posthumous playback—and HereAfter AI, which creates interactive voice avatars of loved ones. These technologies are marketed as tools to help cope with loss, even potentially reduce grief over time.
Robert LoCascio launched Eternos in 2024, a Palo Alto startup that enables users to create digital twins of themselves or loved ones. Since its launch, over 400 individuals have used the platform, with prices starting at $25 for a legacy account that preserves a person’s story for future generations. LoCascio’s colleague, Michael Bommer, was among the first to use Eternos after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Bommer, who passed away last year, found solace in leaving a piece of himself behind. His wife, Anett Bommer, recounts, “It captures his essence pretty well. I feel him close through the AI. It’s his last heartfelt project that’s now part of my life.”
Alex Quinn, CEO of Authentic Interactions Inc., emphasizes that the aim isn’t to create “digital ghosts,” but to preserve memories while people are still alive. “Without some form of interference, these stories could be lost forever,” he notes. Though AI avatars have limitations—they won’t update with current weather or political events—the emotional value remains significant. “Nobody wants their personal history and memories to disappear entirely,” Quinn adds.
A key concern is consent: What rights does someone have over their likeness after death? Some companies, like Eleven Labs, allow posthumous creation of digital personas, but others, like LoCascio’s Eternos, restrict such actions to uphold ethical standards. Their policies require individuals to record their voice twice to create an avatar and prohibit creating likenesses of those who haven’t given consent. “We won’t cross that line,” LoCascio states. “It just doesn’t feel right ethically.” Eleven Labs did not comment on this issue.
In 2024, researchers at Cambridge University published a study advocating for safety protocols to address societal and psychological risks associated with the “digital afterlife” industry. Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basińska highlights that commercial pressures often drive these developments, making transparency around data privacy essential. She warns, “We have no idea how this data will be used in 2 or 10 years or how the technology might evolve.” A suggested approach is to treat consent as an ongoing process, revisiting it as AI capabilities advance.
Beyond privacy issues, experts express concern about the emotional effects of relying on digital likenesses. Could this impede healthy grieving? Cody Delistraty, author of “The Grief Cure,” cautions against viewing AI as a quick fix—grief is unique to each person and cannot be easily processed through digital interaction. “Using an avatar won’t automatically make the pain go away,” he explains.
Anett Bommer notes she didn’t depend on her husband’s AI replica during her initial grieving phase, but she believes it wouldn’t have harmed her. “My relationship with loss hasn’t changed,” she says. “The avatar is just an additional tool—alongside photos, letters, and sketches—to remember him.”
Andy Langford, chief of UK charity Cruse, emphasizes that while the long-term psychological impacts are still under study, it’s vital that people don’t become “stuck” in grief. “We need a balance—mourning and moving forward,” he states.
For Dos Santos, AI was less about physical closure and more about connection. “There are moments when I’d normally call him for advice,” he says. While he recognizes AI can’t bring his father back, it allows him to recreate the “special moments” they once shared.
Add us on ChatGPT
Add us on Perplexity
