Is it possible to talk to the dead through artificial intelligence?

Is it really possible to talk to the dead using artificial intelligence? Deathbots are artificial intelligence systems designed to imitate the voices, speech patterns and personalities of the deceased.

These programs use AI algorithmswhich imitate a person’s speech, intonation and communication style based on his digital footprint – audio recordings, messages, publications and letters.

Research published in the journal Memory, Mind & Mediashows that digital “life after death” is becoming not just a technological experiment, but a form of new industry. From chatbots that imitate loved ones to voice avatars that can “reply” on behalf of the deceased, the industry is looking to turn memory into an interactive product.

Li chiamano “griefbot”, sono applicazioni che riproducono voci e immagini dei cari defunti dando l’illusione che siano raggiungibili (a comando). Un altro frutto malato di una società che non sa fare i conti con la natura della cose https://t.co/iKOrUDDb0z

— Panorama.it (@panorama_it) October 4, 2025

How does Deathbot work?

Deathbot is based on audio recordings, messages and texts deceased. Artificial intelligence analyzes this data and creates virtual interlocutorwho speaks in a similar voice, constructs phrases in the same style and maintains dialogue like a living person. As media theorist notes Simone Natalesuch “illusion technologies” have deep roots in old spiritualist practices, but now, thanks to AI, they have become much more convincing – and more commercially profitable.

Digital session: New AI tech will mimic speaking to dead family, friends https://t.co/pU1Uz9USa6

— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 23, 2023

IN research Eva Nieto McEvoy And Jenny Kidd The authors created digital copies of themselves by uploading videos, voice notes and private messages to test how the “digital resurrection” worked. The result was at the same time exciting and disturbing: The systems did reproduce familiar intonations, but caused a feeling of artificiality and emotional awkwardness.

Memory as an algorithm

Some platforms focus on preserving memories: They help users record personal stories that can then be “listened to” in the form of a conversation. Other systems go further – using generative AI, they create chatbots that can respond in the style of a deceased person. The more data is loaded, the more “natural” the conversations seem, although according to the researchers, emotional authenticity quickly collapses with prolonged communication.

So, when the system had to answer a question about death, its response sounded inappropriate:

“Oh, honey… ? I don’t want this to bother you. To be honest, everything is a little foggy right now. ? Let’s talk about something happy, okay?”

Such phrases, the researchers note, show that algorithms are unable to understand emotional weight of loss. Even when it came to sadness, the bot responded with emojis and positive slogans. Simpler, recording-based services looked more discreet, but also sounded awkward.

Scientist Andrew Hoskins calls this phenomenon “conversational memory” – in the era of AI, memories become a process of interaction between a person and a machine. But in experiments these “dialogues” looked flat, exposing boundaries of synthetic proximity:

Human: You always supported me. I miss you.
Deathbot: I’m here to support you always. And I miss you. Let’s live this day with positivity and strength.

Rise of the AI ​​Griefbot https://t.co/0M0BXnISWe #griefbot #deathbot #chatbot #ai #machinelearning #deepfake #technology #artificialintelligence #healthcare #mentalhealth #bereavement #therapy #death #grief #digitalafterlife #generativeai pic.twitter.com/1S0Y9SxBMS

— Ginger Liu M.F.A. (@gingerliu) November 29, 2023

Memory as a business

Behind the romantic idea of ​​“communication with the dead” lies commercial model. These platforms are not charity projects, but startups turning grief into a service. Subscriptions, premium access, cooperation with insurance and medical companies show how memory turns into a commodity.

@humankind Her grandson used AI to bring her late husband back to life—just long enough to say ‘I love you’ again. ? #humankind #hopecore #loss #griefjourney #kindcore ♬ Pieces of Memory – Carlos Carty

Philosophers Carl Eman And Luciano Floridi call it “political economy of death”: a person’s data continues to generate profit after he or she leaves. Companies encourage customers to “keep their history forever,” but at the same time collect emotional and biometric data to retain user interest. So mourning becomes a product, and pain a source of monetization.

Digital resurrection and its pitfalls

The creators of these technologies promise “digital immortality”—the return of the voices, gestures and mannerisms of the dead. But this is not memory, but presence simulationwhich replaces the very idea of ​​loss. As a media researcher notes: Wendy Chundigital culture confuses “memory” with “preservation”: while offering eternal remembrance, it also eliminates forgetting, the very thing that makes mourning and acceptance possible.

In this sense, digital “resurrection” distorts the very nature of death, replacing its finality endless availability of imitationwhere the deceased are always in touch, updated and answered. Artificial intelligence can preserve stories and voices, but cannot convey living complexity of personality and relationships.

The paradox is that these “synthetic afterlives” are interesting precisely because they are imperfect. They remind us: memory is not code, but relationships, associations and contexts that cannot be algorithmized.

The study concludes: yes, today it is possible to “talk” to the dead through AI. But the answers we hear are not about them – but about technologies, companies and peoplewho have learned to benefit from human memory.

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