Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David has raised concerns over the growing use of artificial intelligence to create digital avatars of deceased individuals, cautioning that the technology risks creating unhealthy illusions about death.
Addressing the trend—which is beginning to surface through “AI Afterlife” or “AI Hereafter” services offered by some funeral providers in the United States—the prelate noted that reactions to the technology vary widely.
“Some might find this comforting. Others might find it downright creepy,” the prelate said.
While acknowledging that some may view digital simulations as a source of comfort, Cardinal David questioned the psychological and spiritual implications of interacting with AI-generated likenesses of the departed.
“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?” he pointed out.
Describing a hypothetical scenario of a wake featuring a speaking screen display of the deceased thanking mourners by name, the Cardinal emphasized that digital recreations lack authentic humanity.
“An AI avatar is not the departed person. It is a machine generating responses from data,” explained David.