Family deepfakes help people celebrate and grieve in India (restofworld.org)

In India, the emergence of AI deepfakes is transforming how families experience emotional milestones, such as weddings and funerals. Clients are increasingly commissioning deepfake videos of deceased loved ones to help bridge the gap created by loss. For instance, Jaideep Sharma created a deepfake of his late father blessing him at his wedding, while Akhil Vinayak crafted a heartfelt video for a woman whose mother-in-law had passed away, capturing family reactions and garnering millions of likes online. These personalized AI-generated tributes, created using tools like Stable Diffusion and Adobe Premiere Pro, provide cathartic experiences for grieving families, helping them to celebrate lives and fulfill social rituals. This trend highlights the growing cultural significance of generative AI in India, where the technology serves not just as entertainment but as a means to address profound emotional needs. Behavioral scientists warn, however, that while these creations can provide temporary solace, they also create complicated emotional realities that may impede the grieving process. As India prepares to enforce regulations requiring the clear labeling of AI-generated content, the deepfake phenomenon raises critical ethical questions about the intersection of technology with human connection—a landscape where AI can simultaneously fulfill cultural rituals and challenge the authenticity of personal relationships.