This is the ‘Mastering the Digital’ series, where digital anthropologists and I deep dive into their diverse research topics.

In this second episode, I speak with Helen Robertson about her project on the emerging field of ‘Grief Tech’. She dives into how Artificial Intelligence is being used to ‘re-animate’ people after they are no longer physically with us.

Some key takeaways:

• StoryFile, the tech startup where Helen conducted her fieldwork, uses ‘Conversational Video AI’ to capture individuals’ life stories and preserve their legacies.
• Uses for their technology are growing in range, including being used at museums, by brands to capture their historical heritage, and in more personal B2C scenarios (e.g.- for new generations to know their ancestors).
• ‘Grief Tech’ is challenging conventional ideas about what differentiates humans from technology: AI is made more human, while humans are made more artificial.
• However, because of how pioneering ‘grief tech’ is, its ethics and regulatory guidelines are highly uncertain, even for key players in the sector itself.

Connect with Helen via: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-robertson-26b82398/