Deathbots. Discussing the use of Artificial Intelligence in grief / Deathbots. Debatiendo el uso de la Inteligencia Artificial en el duelo

Abstract

Deathbots, griefbots or thanabots are chatbots based on the digital footprint of the deceased that offer mourners the possibility to ‘talk’ to their loved ones after their death. This Artificial Intelligence–based thanatechnology raises a number of ethical and psychological questions. Drawing on the concept of mediation from cultural psychology and the notion of continuing bonds in bereavement, the article discusses some controversial questions about deathbots, such as the illusion of reality that this technology may generate, its impact on the autonomy of the bereaved, the possible individualization of bereavement, the ethical implications in relation to the deceased and the potential therapeutic uses of this digital tool. We conclude by stressing the need for a non-essentialist perspective when studying the relationship between AI and grief, addressing the mediational role of deathbots not for what they supposedly are but for what they allow us to do.