Can AI End the Grief That Comes With Death?
ABC News
ENRICHED
Details
- Date Published
- 12 Feb 2026
- Priority Score
- 2
- Australian
- Yes
- Created
- 12 Feb 2026, 08:45 am
Description
If you could end the grief that came with the death of a loved one, would you?
Summary
The article explores the emerging industry of 'grief bots' designed to ease the loss of loved ones by creating AI replicas of deceased individuals. This endeavor raises questions about the implications for human grief processes and the ethical dimensions of replicating human personas digitally. The advancements in AI capabilities that allow for such deeply personal interactions could transform how society deals with death, while also posing significant challenges to AI safety and governance. Although the focus is not specifically on catastrophic risks, these developments highlight the profound societal impacts AI can have, underscoring the need for careful consideration in AI policy frameworks.
Body
If you could end the grief that came with the death of a loved one, would you? That’s the ambition of tech entrepreneur, Justin Harrison, whose experience with his own mother’s death in 2022 led him to create an AI replica of her so that he could continue talking to her after she died. GUEST: Justin Harrison, CEO, You, Only VirtualCreditsFlint Duxfield, ProducerImage DetailsAs AI tools develop, a growing industry of 'grief bots' or 'death bots' is emerging, offering the promise of easing the loss of loved one. (Pexels: Steve Johnson; license)Program:More from The Radio National HourGrief, Death and Dying, AI Appears In 'Don't cry for me' - how AI griefbots are short circuiting lossDuration: 55 minutes 15 seconds55m 3 itemsIn this episode1 of 3With midterms on his mind Trump demands Ukraine goes to the polls first Duration: 17 minutes 9 seconds17m 2 of 3'Have your best baby': Is polygenic embryo screening the way towards designer babies? Duration: 17 minutes 34 seconds17m 3 of 3PlayingCan AI end the grief that comes with death?Duration: 24 minutes 37 seconds24m