South Korean startups create AI-generated videos of deceased loved ones, sparking ethical debate

AI-Generated Videos Bring Deceased Loved Ones Back to Life

When Lee Geon Hui wanted to honor his father, he commissioned an unusual gift: an AI-generated video of his late grandfather delivering a heartfelt message. The 28-year-old office worker hired Vaice, a Seoul-based tech company, to create a digital likeness of his grandfather, who died in a car accident before Lee was born. The virtual character addressed Lee's father as "my most precious son," apologizing for childhood hardships and offering words of reconciliation 1

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. Lee's father initially refused to watch but eventually shed tears, making the gift feel worthwhile.

This scenario reflects a broader trend in South Korea, where digitally-savvy residents are experimenting with grief technology that produces video recreations of deceased loved ones 2

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. Multiple startups now offer these services, while TV shows feature AI versions of dead pop stars and actors, normalizing the practice across Korean culture.

Growing Market for Digital Recreations of the Dead

Vaice CEO Jeongu Won reports his company serves about 300 customers a month, primarily grieving South Koreans in their 40s or 50s seeking AI videos for comfort featuring their late parents 1

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. Others request videos of late grandparents as gifts for their own parents. The company requires only a few photos and short voice samples of the deceased to create a likeness, with a basic three-to-five-minute video costing 600,000 won, approximately $390 3

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Many customers play these AI-generated videos during memorial rituals or major Korean holidays when family members gather. Clients typically write their own scripts, with most adding "I love you" and some referencing regrets over unresolved conflicts with their late parents 1

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. JL Standard, which launched a similar service five years ago, initially faced suspicion from bereaved customers who feared it would reopen their grief, according to company executive Choi Yu Ha 2

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. However, acceptance of AI's role in addressing grief is spreading rapidly.

Ethical Concerns Mount Over Virtual Simulations

While these services offer solace, they raise thorny ethical, psychological and legal questions. "It's a double-edged sword, as it deals with human emotions," said Yong Man Ro, an AI expert at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology 1

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. Observers warn that simulating the dead could put vulnerable people at risk if it blurs the line between reality and the virtual world.

Choung Wan, an emeritus professor at Seoul's Kyung Hee University Law School, argues that laws are urgently needed to protect the dignity and rights of the deceased 3

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. He advocates for banning the creation of AI-generated versions if the person opposed it before death and establishing clear limits on commercial use of people's images and voices. These legal concerns become more pressing as technological advances now enable replication of wrinkles and skin pores in remarkable detail.

Future Risks: Griefbots and Psychological Harm

Experts say ethical issues could intensify as the industry moves toward "griefbots" or "deathbots" that simulate two-way conversations between bereaved people and AI versions of dead loved ones. Startups are already experimenting with such products 2

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. "Psychologically, a healthy mourning involves a process to acknowledge the absence of the deceased and pass through the pains of their losses," Choung explained. "But speaking with an AI system simulating a living person could undermine the process of accepting deaths and rather cause a negative effect of leaving bereaved families trapped in a fantasy" 1

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Won acknowledges these concerns, stating he remains cautious about launching an AI chatbot service because real-time conversations could not be supervised by company officials and may cause unexpected ethical problems 3

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. Despite these reservations, both the technology and acceptance of it are moving quickly, suggesting the mourning process itself may be transformed by AI in ways society has yet to fully comprehend.