My love will be there forever: Ghostbots and the artificial continuing communication

Abstract

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, such as machine learning (ML) and large language models (LLMs), allows ordinary users to turn themselves or their loved ones into AI chatbots. Based on the analysis of media reporting on users’ experiences, the study identifies three major features that frequently appear in users’ interactions with ghostbots simulating their deceased loved ones: (1) the interactions often elicit intense emotional responses from the users; (2) the purposes of using ghostbots can be practical, including mitigating grief, seeking advices, looking for emotional support, or say a final goodbye; and (3) the interactions may generate new knowledge, ideas, and memories about the dead. The study also introduces the concept of artificial continuing communication, recognizing the interpretative asymmetry inherent in interactions with AI interlocutors, while emphasizing the continuing bonds between the living and the dead. I argue that although ghosts are reduced versions of the dead, this emerging form of communication challenges the normative hydraulic model of the psyche, which views grief as a negative emotion to be discharged and emphasizes emotional detachment from the deceased. I contend that a type of thin reciprocal love exists between the users and their ghostbots and suggest that the ghostbot use offers an alternative perspective on how we relate to love, loss, and emotional continuity, albeit its user base remains small.