Artificial Intelligence is stepping into one of humanity’s most emotional frontiers — grief. What began as a tool to preserve memories through photographs and recordings is now giving the dead a voice, a face, and even a presence.

Across the globe, people are using AI to re-create loved ones who have passed away. In Russia, the Final Meeting project lets families generate short videos of relatives killed in war for as little as $30. In China, “resurrection studios” can turn a single photograph into a lifelike, talking avatar — a virtual version of the departed.

The trend is spreading fast. In India, digital clones of the late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi have been used at political events. In the United States, an AI reconstruction of a slain veteran was even shown in court, allowing his virtual self to speak during sentencing.

But the technology’s emotional power comes with profound risks. Experts warn of manipulation, misinformation, and the psychological toll of interacting with synthetic versions of the dead. Actress Zelda Williams has condemned such recreations of her father, Robin Williams, describing them as “Frankensteinian horrors.”

Analysts estimate the global “digital afterlife economy” could surpass $80 billion by 2035, raising questions that technology alone cannot answer: When machines can resurrect the dead, what does it mean to truly say goodbye?