In 2025, artificial intelligence is woven into almost every facet of existence: composing music, editing videos, finishing schoolwork, scheduling reservations, programming, and even digitally bringing people back to life. These digital representations have been utilized to push for stricter gun regulations, challenge murderers in court, and ultimately, for commercial endeavors.

NPR brought attention to the rise of AI deceased avatars, representations of those who have passed away. As noted by Mashable, projects focused on digital resurrection have progressed alongside generative AI. In May, Mashable featured Stacey Wales, who employed AI to produce a video of her departed brother for a court sentencing, swaying the judge to impose the harshest sentence. In February 2024, March For Our Lives and Change the Ref initiated The Shotline, a campaign enabling gun reform supporters to send automated messages utilizing the voices of gun violence victims to lawmakers.

Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basińska, a research scholar at the Leverhulme Center for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge, stated to Scientific American that generative AI leverages extensive personal data to attain “digital immortality,” crafting virtual personas that endure beyond biological demise. This innovation is transforming how we cope with grief.

Professionals stress the importance of further conversation, ethical frameworks, and responsible design. The film “Eternal You” uncovers that AI firms are capitalizing on mourning for financial gain. Beyond ethical issues, there’s a financial dimension: the “digital afterlife sector” is anticipated to expand to nearly $80 billion over the next ten years, covering AI deceased avatars and posthumous communication services. This technology might even see use in marketing, such as reusing a deceased celebrity’s image to endorse products. AI researcher James Hutson from Lindenwood University remarked that monetization is unavoidable.

AI deceased avatars are here to remain, presenting yet another ethical dilemma in the swiftly evolving realm of generative AI.