The tech industry has found its way into various aspects of the business of death, according to culture journalist Mihika Agarwal. From digital estate planning to crowdfunding funeral costs and even turning ashes or hair into diamonds, there are numerous options available. Agarwal discussed her reporting on the grief tech industry with Marketplace’s Lily Jamali, highlighting the range of options gaining traction. The conversation touched on apps like StoryFile and HereAfter AI that allow users to record interviews and interact with an AI-powered element, as well as more intense apps like You, Only Virtual that aim to recreate the sense of the deceased. Ethical concerns were raised regarding data usage and privacy, as well as the lack of post-mortem consumer protection in the United States. The issue of consent and ownership of a deceased person’s digital footprint was also discussed. Agarwal coined the phrase “death technopreneurship” to describe the trend of tech entrepreneurs entering the grief tech market. The startup-ification of grief in the US was seen as a reflection of cultural differences in mourning rituals and a tendency to distract and avoid grief rather than process it. The article concludes with a mention of a grief-tech CEO who hopes people will no longer have to feel grief in the future, sparking a discussion on the outsourcing of grief to ghost bots.
Insights from the “grief tech” industry on navigating loss – Marketplace
