In a disturbing development, Russian families are turning to artificial intelligence to create digital replicas of loved ones killed in the war in Ukraine. These AI avatars, often generated from photos and voice recordings, interact with grieving relatives through apps and smart speakers, offering simulated conversations that mimic the dead. While the practice emerges from personal grief, the Kremlin has been quick to weaponise it.
State media now showcases these ‘resurrected’ soldiers as propaganda tools, portraying them as heroes who willingly sacrificed their lives for the motherland. Critics call it a macabre manipulation of technology, exploiting private pain for public gain. The AI systems, built on generative models trained on deceased individuals’ data, raise profound ethical questions about consent, digital sovereignty, and the nature of grief.
Tech experts warn that such use blurs the line between therapeutic aid and emotional exploitation, while human rights groups see it as another tool in Russia’s information warfare arsenal. As the technology proliferates, the world watches a chilling precedent: the dead are no longer silent, and their digital ghosts can be made to speak any script the state desires.
