Abdullah Boulad, a behavioural expert and founder and CEO of the mental health clinic The Balance, agrees that using AI in this way could delay the grieving process, making the experience more prolonged and emotionally challenging in the long run.

“Too much reliance on technology during the grieving process may cause people to take longer to process their emotions,” he says. “It’s crucial to keep in mind that grief tech should only be used sparingly and not as a substitute for conventional grief counselling or therapy.”

However, when used with proper boundaries and support in place, Boulad believes AI software like that created by StoryFile could play a powerful role in helping people to work through their grief in a safe space, without fear of being judged. This technology has the potential to bring those creating the AI versions of themselves comfort, too. Indeed, it has the ability to provide comfort to both the creator and the bereaved – and Smith is keen to ensure this positive impact remains central to StoryFile’s mission.

“I think much of the worry is based on a general distrust of AI-based technologies, and that will dissipate as people understand them better,” he adds. “StoryFile strives to lead on ethical concerns in the field, to always keep tech human.”

He continues: “It’s up to users how they use it. Some will use a StoryFile of a loved one immediately after they pass, and some will return to it later. Many who make StoryFiles tell us they’re doing it for their grandchildren or, in the case of some, like the great William Shatner, for future generations they’ll never meet.

“We believe this can create an incredibly valuable library of human experience – preserving all that we spend our lives learning and, until now, simply let dissipate when we’re gone.”

AI is already changing the way we grieve. But is that a good thing?