What counts as grief tech
- Memorial and remembrance pages where people share photos and stories.
- Recorded legacy interviews, where a person answers questions before they die and family can play the answers later.
- Voice and video avatars that recreate how someone looked or sounded.
- Conversational AI that writes in someone’s style, built from their messages, such as a Memory Clone of someone who has died.
They differ in one important way: some replay what the person actually said, while others generate new words. Generated replies feel more alive, and that is exactly why they need more care.
What grief research suggests
Grief research no longer treats “letting go” as the only healthy path. The continuing bonds perspective describes how many bereaved people keep an ongoing inner relationship with the person who died, through memories, objects, rituals and imagined conversations, and that this can coexist with adapting to life after loss.
At the same time, clinicians recognise that for a minority of people grief becomes persistent and disabling. Prolonged grief disorder is now included in the ICD-11 and in the DSM-5-TR, describing intense longing or preoccupation that continues for a long time and seriously disrupts daily life.
Research specifically on AI grief chatbots is still young. Early studies and interviews report both comfort and concern. Researchers and ethicists have called for transparency that it is AI, respect for the wishes of the person who died, protections for vulnerable users, and easy ways to stop or “retire” a simulation. We think those calls are reasonable.
Signs it may be helping
- You feel comforted or connected after using it, and able to get on with your day.
- It prompts you to share memories with other people, not to withdraw from them.
- You use it occasionally and by choice, for example on a birthday or when you miss them.
- You are clear that it is a simulation, even when a reply feels very familiar.
Warning signs to take seriously
- You are using it for hours a day or feel unable to stop.
- You are avoiding friends, family or activities in order to talk to it.
- You feel worse, more confused, guilty or distressed afterwards.
- You find yourself believing the person is really there, or relying on it for important decisions.
- Months after the loss, grief still makes ordinary daily life very hard.
If any of these sound familiar, consider pausing, telling someone you trust, and speaking to a doctor, counsellor or bereavement service. If you are in crisis, contact your local emergency number. Helplines are listed on our wellbeing page.
Healthy ways to use memorial AI
- Set an intention. Decide before each session what you want: to remember a trip, to say something, to share their humour with a child.
- Keep sessions short. Stop while it still feels good.
- Share with others. Tell someone about what came up. Grief is easier when it is not carried alone.
- Mark endings. Some people choose to archive a clone after a period of time, or keep it for special dates only.
- Keep real support close. Friends, family, faith communities, support groups and professionals offer what no AI can.
How Memory Clone approaches wellbeing
- Clones are always presented as AI simulations, not as the person.
- Natural check-in messages from a clone are off by default; you decide whether a clone ever starts a conversation.
- You can archive or delete a clone whenever you choose.
- Our AI Transparency Notice explains how replies are generated and their limits, and the Acceptable Use Policy sets rules on permission and respectful use.
- Memory Clone is for adults aged 18 and over and is not a therapy or medical service.
Frequently asked questions
Can AI help with grief?
For some people, revisiting a loved one’s words through AI is comforting. It is not a treatment for grief and works best alongside real relationships and, when needed, professional support.
Is it normal to want to talk to someone who died?
Yes. Many bereaved people talk to those they have lost, visit special places or reread messages. Wanting connection is a normal part of grief.
When should I stop using a grief chatbot?
Consider stopping or pausing if it makes you feel worse, takes over your time, or makes it harder to accept the loss.
Is Memory Clone a grief therapy tool?
No. Memory Clone is an AI simulation app, not a medical or therapy service. If grief feels overwhelming, please contact a professional or a helpline.
This guide is general information written by the Memory Clone team and reviewed on 2 October 2026. App menus change over time, so labels may differ slightly on your device. Memory Clone creates an AI simulation based on the material you provide; it is not the person.