Study Explores AI Digital Copies for Communicating with Deceased Loved Ones

Artificial intelligence is expanding beyond digital assistants and content creation to address a deeply sensitive human issue: reconnecting with memories of deceased loved ones. A recent study found that numerous individuals expressed readiness to engage with AI-generated digital versions that simulate the deceased, even amid worries about potential psychological effects.

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder conducted an experiment involving 16 participants aged between 22 and 50, all of whom had lost someone close to them. The team utilized a generative AI model to create digital personas mimicking the deceased, based on information and memories provided by the participants.

During the experiment, participants interacted with two versions of the digital persona. The first spoke in the first person as if it were the deceased individual, while the second used third-person narration to describe them. Results showed that nearly all participants preferred the first-person version, as it gave them a stronger sense of the presence of their departed loved one.

The study also highlighted a highly sensitive aspect: the emotional accuracy of details was more significant than factual correctness. For example, in one case, the use of a nickname that the deceased did not typically use caused intense discomfort for a participant and nearly led them to stop the experiment.

The researchers noted that this study is among the earliest to explore user experience with what is termed "generative ghosts"—virtual characters created by AI to simulate individuals after their death. Commercial companies already offer services enabling users to converse with digital replicas of deceased relatives or friends.

Although all participants indicated they might use this technology again in the future, most also expressed concerns that it could become a psychological crutch or addiction for people grieving their losses. This concern has prompted the researchers to initiate a new study in collaboration with mental health specialists to assess the potential benefits and risks of these applications before they become widely available.