Russian families use AI to 'resurrect' loved ones killed in Ukraine
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- AI-generated videos of Russian soldiers, often portraying them as heroes returning home or as angels, have become popular on Russian social media since mid-2025, frequently created by relatives of servicemen missing or killed in the Ukraine war.
- These digital "farewell videos" serve as a mourning tool for families, allowing them to visualize emotional reunions or farewells with deceased or missing soldiers, though the psychological and ethical implications remain uncertain and controversial.
- The content largely omits the realities of the war's devastation in Ukraine, provoking strong negative reactions from Ukrainian viewers who see the videos as glorifying soldiers involved in the conflict.
- Some AI creators in Russia profit significantly from producing these videos, charging fees to animate photos and create personalized memorial clips, raising concerns about monetizing grief.
- Experts highlight the complexity and ethical challenges of using AI to represent the dead, noting that while the technology offers comfort to some, its long-term impact on grieving processes and societal perceptions is still unknown.