Russian families use AI to 'resurrect' loved ones killed in Ukraine

In Russia, artificial intelligence is being used by grieving families to create idealized digital representations of soldiers fighting in Ukraine, offering a way to mourn loved ones whose fates may be unknown or who have been killed.

AI-generated photos and videos have become popular on social media, particularly among relatives of servicemen. These visuals often depict soldiers as heroes defending their country, with the realities of the war and destruction typically absent. One example cited is an AI-generated clip showing a soldier returning home to a loved one, a stark contrast to the reality for many families whose soldiers have disappeared at the front.

For some families, these AI creations serve as a coping mechanism, with deepfakes of deceased individuals even being used at funerals. This practice, however, has drawn sharp criticism online. While some viewers report being moved to tears, others find the use of AI to recreate or 'resurrect' fallen soldiers to be unethical and deeply disturbing.

Researchers highlight the complexity and ethical challenges in assessing the long-term psychological and social impact of this technology on the grieving process. The creator of one widely shared AI video, blogger Katya Jin, removed her content after being contacted by the BBC, suggesting a potential sensitivity or shift in response to the scrutiny.

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Creating 'deadbots' of Russian soldiers or deepfakes of fallen Russian soldiers returning from Ukraine is extremely complex and ethically difficult to assess in a clear-cut way.