UseAI glossary
Griefbot (deathbot)
Chatbot that imitates a deceased person using their messages, voice, and videos, allowing loved ones to "converse" with them again. This nascent industry of the digital afterlife raises unprecedented questions: the deceased's consent, effects on grief, and a business model built on sorrow.
In other words
An answering machine that would no longer just replay the voice of a departed loved one, but would invent its own replies.
Alyriaz articles that mention it
- Talking to the dead through AI: the industry that sparks debate
In August 2025, journalist Jim Acosta interviewed live on CNN the AI avatar of Joaquin Oliver, a victim of the 2018 Parkland shooting at the age of 17. His parents had given their permission. The avatar spoke with his verbal tics, his political opinions, his voice. Viewers were in shock. Welcome to the industry that is trying to rethink death.