This episode follows the recurring hope that new communication tools can keep us connected to the dead, from Victorian séances and the “spiritual telegraph” to AI griefbots. It examines how interactive simulations may affect memory, consent, and grief while separating historical evidence from ethical thought experiments. The cited patent describes technical embodiments; it does not establish a deployed product or clinical effectiveness. The FTC’s cited guidance is advisory and has no independent force of law. This history and ethics discussion is not medical advice.

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Sources:

- National Science and Media Museum — Telecommunications and the occult: https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/telecommunications-and-occult

- Tomasz Hollanek and Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basińska (2024), “Griefbots, Deadbots, Postmortem Avatars: on Responsible Applications of Generative AI in the Digital Afterlife Industry,” Philosophy & Technology 37, article 63: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13347-024-00744-w

- Google Patents — US12513102B2: https://patents.google.com/patent/US12513102B2/en

- Federal Trade Commission — Health Products Compliance Guidance: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance