Why AI grief chatbots feel different in first vs third person
A study of 16 bereaved participants found first-person reincarnation bots created closeness, while third-person representation bots evoked memory and reflection.
Researchers gave 16 bereaved volunteers sessions of about 20 minutes chatting with two text-based AI versions of their deceased loved one, conducted virtually over Zoom. One bot spoke in first person (the reincarnation model), creating immediacy and closeness; the other used third person (the representation model), evoking memory and reflection.
The AI ghosts sometimes invented facts about the deceased, but this did not appear to affect participants' overall experience.
- 16 bereaved volunteers
- Study participants
- Approximately 20 minutes per bot
- Session length
Why it mattersAs commercial AI grief chatbots grow more common, evidence on their psychological effects matters for deciding how they should be designed and used.
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