Artificial intelligence has sparked what is known as "digital necromancy," a way to bring the dead back to life through the digital traces they left behind. This has been made possible by generative AI, which not only includes powerful language processors like ChatGPT but also image and video generators like DALL·E 2.

Debates about this so-called digital necromancy began in the 2010s with advancements in video projection using "deep fake" technology, leading to the virtual resurrection of figures like Bruce Lee, Michael Jackson, and Tupac Shakur. It has also led to posthumous film appearances of actors like Carrie Fisher and Peter Cushing.

Initially, this territory was reserved for movie and music production companies with abundant resources, but the arrival of generative artificial intelligence has democratized access to these technologies, allowing more people to use them to revive loved ones or interact with them digitally.

Even before ChatGPT was made public, a user had already used this OpenAI model to converse with his deceased girlfriend, based on her texts and emails. This sparked the interest of emerging tech companies like Here After and Replika, which launched generative AI-based services to help the bereaved maintain a connection with their deceased loved ones.

However, this technology raises ethical and cultural questions about interacting with the dead in this way. Many people feel uncomfortable with the idea of routinely communicating with digital simulations of the deceased, and some view this practice with caution.

Despite these concerns, some sociologists argue that the use of artificial intelligence to interact with the dead is not something new. Throughout history, people have used various means, such as portraits, photographs, and relics, to maintain connections with their deceased loved ones.

Ultimately, the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence in the realm of digital necromancy leads us to reflect on how this technology integrates with our existing practices of mourning, remembrance, and evocation, rather than changing or disrupting them.