GRIEFBOT

For instance, correspondence (letter writing/imaginal written dialogues) with the deceased has been accredited as one of the most impactful ways to deal with grief along with guided imaginal conversations (e.g., a psychological encounter with the deceased to allow the mourner to repair and rework the relationship with them). Moreover, telling stori... See more

Mobile applications may also be helpful for grieving adults and children to understand their own grief, and/or to facilitate talking to other people dealing with grief too. For instance, "Tuki" (a mobile application meaning ‘support’ in Finnish,[54]), matches users with similar grief experiences. Following the same paradigm, the "Besupp" website wa... See more

However, despite myriad literature examining the use of digital technology to support the grieving process, most work is based on grief theories which overlook or downplay the importance of the enduring relationship with the deceased post death as a means to coping with grief, as many interventions based on these theories tend to focus on the berea... See more

Maybe more people will use griefbots as the shortage of qualified mental professionals worsens. People may become more comfortable talking to computers, or poor oversight might mean that many people won’t know they are talking to a computer in the first place. So far, neither questionable ethics nor tremendous cost have prevented companies from try... See more

As anyone who has used LLM-driven chatbots knows, it’s easy to feel like there’s a real person on the other side of the screen. During the emotional upheaval of losing a loved one, indulging this fantasy could be especially problematic. That’s why simulations must make clear that they’re not a person, Xygkou said.

Left to themselves, these mourners chose a short-term tool to help them deal with loss. They did not want to recreate a loved one to keep them at their side for life.

Griefbots could give the bereaved a new tool to cope with grief, or they could create the illusion that the loved one isn’t gone and force mourners to confront a second death if they want to stop using the bot.

Perhaps griefbots should be considered therapeutics that are subject to approval by the Food and Drug Administration and prescribed by a mental health professional.