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Mind

How AI avatars of the deceased could transform the way we grieve

Companies are now offering chatbots that appear to come from beyond the veil. But psychologists say this "grief tech" may interfere with the patterns of brain activity through which we adapt to loss

By April Reese

14 November 2023

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Elia Barbieri

MY MOM was the only one who would laugh at my corny jokes. That is in part because she was, in a sense, laughing at herself: I got my silly sense of humour from her.

I will never hear her easy, girlish laugh again. She died last year on 17 January at the age of 76, and there are still days when I would give anything to hear her voice. To my surprise, I recently learned that I could, and all I would have to do is offer her data to one of myriad “grief tech” apps available. For a…

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