Cardinal warns against AI recreations of deceased loved ones

Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David has raised concerns over emerging artificial intelligence technology that allows families to interact with digital recreations of their deceased loved ones.

The cardinal cited funeral service providers in the United States offering so-called “AI Afterlife” services, which use photographs, videos, voice recordings, diaries and other personal data to recreate the appearance and voice of a deceased person.

These AI-generated avatars can reportedly address grieving relatives by name and respond to questions, creating the impression that their loved ones are still present.

“But here’s what troubles me: Are we preserving the memory of our loved ones, or creating an illusion that they have never really died? Could this technology help us grieve—or prevent us from learning to let go?” David asked.

While acknowledging that some families may find comfort in the technology, the cardinal warned against confusing digital simulations with the people they represent.

“An AI avatar is not the departed person,” he stressed.

“It is a machine generating responses from data.”