Grief, Chatbots, AI, and (Sort of) Talking With Dead People

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Photoshoped before Photoshop: (left), photograph taken July 24, 1924, print with Stanley De Brath and (alleged) spirit face of Gustav Geley, from Stanley De Brath's 'The Physical Phenomena of Spiritualism' (1930); (right) alleged spirit photograph of the spiritualist Thomas Everitt, from John Lobb's 'The Busy Life Beyond Death, From the Voice of the Dead'. (1909) via Wikipedia, used w/o permissionFolks have a great many ways of dealing with grief and loss.

For example, folks at the hospital took a photo of our youngest daughter. She died shortly before birth. That photo's on an 'in loving memory of' memorial card — I think that's what it's called — that's tucked into the corner of our wedding picture....

More at A Catholic Citizen in America.

(Mimicking dead people with an AI avatar / chatbot could help folks deal with grief and loss. My quick glance at this new wrinkle on old practices.)

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