The article explores the author's initial skepticism about using AI to write an obituary for their deceased mother. At a funeral home, the director introduced AI as a means to assist with this challenging task, leading the author to reflect on the implications of technology in such personal experiences. While concerned that using a computer to announce a loved one's death felt wrong, the author ultimately recognized the practical benefits of AI in the face of overwhelming responsibilities associated with grief, including funeral arrangements and paperwork. As the author navigated these emotions, they saw value in receiving help through AI.
"AI can help me do this. The software would compose the notice for me...My first thought was that this would be unnecessary, at best. At worst, it would be an outrage."
"Now I should ask a computer to announce my mother's, by way of a statistical model?"
"But when a normal person dies—and this applies to most of us—the obituary is something else: not a standard piece of journalistic writing, but a formal notice, composed in brief, that also serves to celebrate the person's life."
"I was grateful for the possibility of any help at all, even if it came in the form of AI.”
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