Error-strewn AI-generated obituaries compound grief

Obituaries generated by AI are reported to be causing real harm to grieving families, compounding their distress.

Often filled with errors and created without the family’s consent, obituaries created AI systems are appearing on ad-filled websites such as BNN, The Thaiger, FreshersLive and Obitsupdate by a cottage industry of "writers" looking opportunistically to exploit the deceased to generate ad revenue and demonstrating no interest in or concern for the impacts caused.

In many instances, the articles are full of incorrect details about the deceased's life, relationships, and accomplishments, and appear impersonal, inhuman, and without empathy. 

In one instance, Bridget Todd discovered an inaccurate obituary for her mother circulating online, exacerbating her grief. In another, fake AI-written obituaries appeared for Brian Vastag and Beth Mazur, even though the former was still alive, causing confusion, anger and additional distress as friends were led to believe the cause may have been a double suicide. Beth Mazur actually died after 15 years battling Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).

And a real obituary written by the children of former US Army officer and IBM employee Paul Mahoney and published in local newspapers was regurgitated in garish style on "news" website BNN alongside multiple adverts.

The findings raised concerns about the misuse of AI for profit, and the lack of interest in downtream impacts by the operators of these systems.