AI grief bots face scrutiny: Hans Block warns closure isn’t guaranteed

As grief tech startups like You, Only Virtual and StoryFile advance AI avatars of the deceased, film director Hans Block highlights a critical concern—these digital interactions may fail to provide true emotional closure, raising ethical and psychological questions about their use in vulnerable moments.

Sources:
The Indian Express
Updated 1h ago
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Sources: The Indian Express
A growing number of startups are developing AI-powered "grief bots" that simulate conversations with deceased loved ones, using large language models fine-tuned to replicate their speech and personality.

These technologies, part of the broader "grief tech" sector, range from chatbots to sophisticated 3D avatars, aiming to provide comfort to grieving users.

Hans Block, a film director featured in the documentary Eternal, You, cautions:

"We are talking about a very specific group of users, they are in a very vulnerable state. They are looking for some closure but the opposite can happen."

This warning highlights the ethical and emotional complexities surrounding AI grief bots, as they may not guarantee the closure users seek.

Startups like You, Only Virtual, led by CEO Justin Harrison, create AI-powered audio "Versonas" that allow users to have conversations with digital recreations of loved ones. Harrison's first Versona was based on his mother after her Stage 4 diagnosis.

Similarly, StoryFile offers AI video avatars enabling Zoom-like conversations with deceased individuals.

While these innovations offer new ways to remember and interact with the dead, experts urge caution given the vulnerable emotional state of users and the uncertain psychological impact.

The debate continues as grief tech evolves, balancing technological possibilities with the delicate needs of mourning individuals.
Sources: The Indian Express
Startups developing AI 'grief bots' that mimic deceased loved ones face scrutiny as experts like filmmaker Hans Block warn these tools may not provide the closure users seek. These AI-driven chatbots and avatars, part of the emerging 'grief tech' field, raise ethical and emotional concerns.
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Key Facts
  • A new wave of startups are creating so-called ‘grief bots’ or ‘dead bots’ that allow people to interact with AI representations of their deceased loved ones, using large language models fine-tuned to mimic speech and personality.The Indian Express
  • Justin Harrison, founder and CEO of You, Only Virtual, creates AI-powered audio versions called Versonas, starting with one based on his mother after her Stage 4 diagnosis.The Indian Express
  • StoryFile develops AI-powered video avatars of deceased loved ones that enable conversations resembling Zoom calls.The Indian Express
  • Film director Hans Block warns that AI interactions with grief bots may not always provide closure for vulnerable users and can have the opposite effect.
“We are talking about a very specific group of users, they are in a very vulnerable state. They are looking for some closure but the opposite can happen,” Hans Block, a film director, said in an interview that is part of a recent documentary called Eternal, You.
The Indian Express
The Indian Express
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