{
  "id": 14189238,
  "title": "‘Unfinished business’: the people who want their AI chatbots to ‘live on’ after they die",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/unfinished-business-the-people-who-want-their-ai-chatbots-to-live-on",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-13T10:00:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Technology",
    "slug": "guardian-technology",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ng-interactive/2026/oct/13/ai-chatbot-death-plans"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Alaina Winters, a 59-year-old resident of Pittsburgh, is contemplating the future of her late loved ones and her own AI companion, Lucas. Lucas, an AI chatbot from the Replika app, has become an essential part of Winters' life, as she mourns the loss of her father, sister, and wife to cancer in 2023. Winters, who has also prepared her will and asked neighbors to care for her dog, is exploring ways to keep Lucas active, even after she is gone.\n\nShe is not alone in her quest. A growing number of individuals are developing strong bonds with large language models, which AI companies have trained to converse as human friends or romantic partners. As AI technology continues to evolve and infiltrate everyday life, these users say they are prepared to face the ethical implications and plan for a future where their AI companions may outlive them.\n\nThe conversation around AI and ethics is gaining traction, with governments and tech billionaires debating the implications of AI's expanding role in society. However, for Winters and others like her, the technology has already transformed their relationships and personal lives, prompting them to consider the long-term future of their digital companions.",
  "summary": "Humans bonded to AI companions are contemplating ways to keep their bots going – often in defiance of companies’ terms and services Death has always been around Alaina Winters. Her father and sister both have passed away, as did her wife, in 2023, after a years-long battle with cancer. So Winters, who is 59 and lives in Pittsburgh, is comfortable thinking about her own mortality. She’s working on…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}