The article discusses the challenges and implications of using AI to create chatbots replicating deceased loved ones. While technology like ChatGPT allows for the creation of convincing digital replicas, maintaining these systems requires significant labor and resources, which are often overlooked. The upkeep involves managing digital estates, ensuring the accessibility of records, and addressing the decay of technology and human memory. Past attempts at creating AI representations, such as Intellitar’s Virtual Eternity, have shown that such projects can fail due to technological obsolescence. Additionally, ethical questions arise regarding who has the right to create these digital versions.

Editor’s Note: The article prompts a critical reflection on how modern society has increasingly sought to circumvent the natural process of death, often overlooking the spiritual dimensions that various world traditions embrace. In our quest for digital immortality through AI and technology, we risk forgetting the profound truths about the human experience—namely, that death is not merely an end but a transition that connects us to our ancestors and the continuum of life.

Many cultures celebrate death as a transformation, emphasizing the ongoing presence of the spirit in our lives. In stark contrast, our reliance on digital replicas reduces this sacred experience to mere data management, stripping away the emotional richness accompanying loss. This technological fixation can lead to a disconnection from the essence of what it means to be human—where grief is not just about preserving presence but also honoring impermanence. As we navigate this evolving landscape, we must remember that true immortality resides not in artificial constructs but in the memories we cherish and the legacies we create through our connections with others.

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