A disturbing trend is emerging from the conflict in Ukraine: Russian families are using AI-powered tools to create digital replicas of soldiers killed in action. These ‘griefbots’ simulate conversations with the deceased, leveraging data from messages, photos, and voice recordings. While tech companies like OpenAI and Microsoft have policies against such uses, Russian startups are filling the void unregulated.
British technology firms have condemned the practice, calling it an exploitation of vulnerable families who may not understand the psychological harm of prolonged digital mourning. Critics warn this could prevent natural grieving, trap users in a feedback loop of false comfort, and be weaponised for propaganda. The ‘User Experience’ of society has never been so fraught: a tool designed for connection is now eroding our ability to let go.
As quantum computing edges closer to truly mimicking personality, the line between remembrance and manipulation blurs. Digital sovereignty must be asserted: no algorithm should have the final word on love or loss.
