The "Conversation" about Loss: Understanding How Chatbot Technology was Used in Supporting People in Grief.
Open accessAbstract
While conversational agents have traditionally been used for simple tasks such as scheduling meetings and customer service support, recent advancements have led researchers to examine their use in complex social situations, such as to provide emotional support and companionship. For mourners who could be vulnerable to the sense of loneliness and disruption of self-identity, such technology offers a unique way to help them cope with grief. In this study, we explore the potential benefits and risks of such a practice, through semi-structured interviews with 10 mourners who actively used chatbots at different phases of their loss. Our findings indicated seven approaches in which chatbots were used to help people cope with grief, by taking the role of listener, acting as a simulation of the deceased, romantic partner, friend and emotion coach. We then highlight how interacting with the chatbots impacted mourners’ grief experience, and conclude the paper with further research opportunities.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
AI companions helped people cope with grief by taking the role of a listener simulating deceased, romantic partners or friends.
“helped people cope with grief by taking the role of a listener simulating deceased, romantic partners or friends (Xygkou et al., 2023)”
From Are Attributions of Consciousness to AI Chatbots Epistemically Innocent? (2026) · cites this paper as Xygkou et al., 2023
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Fitzpatrick, K. K., Darcy, A., & Vierhile, M. (2017) · JMIR Mental Health · doi:10.2196/mental.7785 · Cited by 2,730 · cited 2× · see citing works
““Woebot” in [29] and “Tess” in [33]) have been evaluated in leading to the conclusion that users may experience “significant reduction in symptoms of depression”, hence suggesting that AI may”
BackgroundGPT-3: Its Nature, Scope, Limits, and Consequences
Floridi, L., & Chiriatti, M. (2020) · Minds and Machines · doi:10.1007/s11023-020-09548-1 · Cited by 2,519 · see citing works
Nass, C., Steuer, J., & Tauber, E. R. (1994) · Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/191666.191703 · Cited by 2,148 · see citing works
Prolonged grief disorder: psychometric validation of criteria proposed for DSM-V and ICD-11
Prigerson, H. G., Horowitz, M. J., Jacobs, S. C., Parkes, C. M., Aslan, M., Goodkin, K., Raphael, B., Marwit, S. J., Wortman, C., Neimeyer, R. A., et al. (2009) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000121 · Cited by 1,863 · see citing works
Self-citationChatbots and Conversational Agents in Mental Health: A Review of the Psychiatric Landscape
Vaidyam, A. N., Wisniewski, H., Halamka, J. D., Kashavan, M. S., & Torous, J. B. (2019) · The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/0706743719828977 · Cited by 1,048 · see citing works
Prevalence of prolonged grief disorder in adult bereavement: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Lundorff, M., Holmgren, H., Zachariae, R., Farver-Vestergaard, I., & O’Connor, M. (2017) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.01.030 · Cited by 876 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Worden’s Tasks for the Bereaved [111], John Bowlby’s theory on attachment [14], Stroebe and Schut’s dual process model [100]), on the grieving process is the importance of reflection and processing through talking, writing and creating [56].”
BackgroundMy Chatbot Companion - a Study of Human-Chatbot Relationships
Skjuve, M., Følstad, A., Fostervold, K. I., & Brandtzaeg, P. B. (2021) · International Journal of Human-Computer Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2021.102601 · Cited by 797 · cited 1× · see citing works
“In the case of humanbot relationship, some chatbots were "programmed" to be willing to, and sometimes, proactively, seek a relationship or friendship with the users [113], [96].”
BackgroundThe design and implementation of Xiaoice, an empathetic social chatbot
Zhou, L., Gao, J., Li, D., & Shum, H.-Y. (2020) · Computational Linguistics · doi:10.1162/coli_a_00368 · Cited by 777 · see citing works
From Eliza to XiaoIce: Challenges and opportunities with social chatbots
Shum, H.-Y., He, X.-D., & Li, D. (2018) · Frontiers of Information Technology & Electronic Engineering · doi:10.1631/fitee.1700826 · Cited by 749 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Modern advancements in conversational AI have often placed great emphasis on the development of chatbots which could talk knowledgeably in multiple domains and show emotions that are appropriate for the specific context as a means of conveying social fidelity [93], [89], [114].”
BackgroundAn overview of the features of chatbots in mental health: A scoping review
Abd-alrazaq, A. A., Alajlani, M., Alalwan, A. A., Bewick, B. M., Gardner, P., & Househ, M. (2019) · International Journal of Medical Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2019.103978 · Cited by 605 · see citing works
The Need to Belong: Desire for Interpersonal Attachments as a Fundamental Human Motivation
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (2017) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781351153683-3 · Cited by 512 · see citing works
Abd-Alrazaq, A. A., Rababeh, A., Alajlani, M., Bewick, B. M., & Househ, M. (2020) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/16021 · Cited by 503 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Chatbots have been extensively used in healthcare, andmore specifically in mental health support ([57], [3])in the past few decades.”
Beyond the Grave: Facebook as a Site for the Expansion of Death and Mourning
Brubaker, J. R., Hayes, G. R., & Dourish, P. (2013) · The Information Society · doi:10.1080/01972243.2013.777300 · Cited by 479 · see citing works
User Experiences of Social Support From Companion Chatbots in Everyday Contexts: Thematic Analysis
Ta, V., Griffith, C., Boatfield, C., Wang, X., Civitello, M., Bader, H., DeCero, E., & Loggarakis, A. (2020) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/16235 · Cited by 461 · cited 1× · see citing works
“, emotional support) is not new, as it has been reflected in other technological media in various literature ([70], [110], [102]).”
BackgroundTreatment of complicated mourning
Patterson, R. L. (1993) · Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/0005-7916(93)90035-u · Cited by 447 · see citing works
The impact of chatbot conversational skill on engagement and perceived humanness
Schuetzler, R. M., Grimes, G. M., & Scott Giboney, J. (2020) · Journal of Management Information Systems · doi:10.1080/07421222.2020.1790204 · Cited by 357 · see citing works
Does the Internet Change How We Die and Mourn? Overview and Analysis
Walter, T., Hourizi, R., Moncur, W., & Pitsillides, S. (2012) · OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying · doi:10.2190/om.64.4.a · Cited by 344 · see citing works
Reporting Mental Health Symptoms: Breaking Down Barriers to Care with Virtual Human Interviewers
Lucas, G. M., Rizzo, A., Gratch, J., Scherer, S., Stratou, G., Boberg, J., & Morency, L.-P. (2017) · Frontiers in Robotics and AI · doi:10.3389/frobt.2017.00051 · Cited by 308 · see citing works
Perceptions and opinions of patients about mental health chatbots: scoping review
Abd-Alrazaq, A. A., Alajlani, M., Ali, N., Denecke, K., Bewick, B. M., & Househ, M. (2021) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/17828 · Cited by 301 · see citing works
Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society
(2011) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203840863 · Cited by 269 · see citing works
Kübler-Ross, E. (1973) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203010495 · Cited by 264 · see citing works
Treating Prolonged Grief Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Bryant, R. A., Kenny, L., Joscelyne, A., Rawson, N., Maccallum, F., Cahill, C., Hopwood, S., Aderka, I., & Nickerson, A. (2014) · JAMA Psychiatry · doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.1600 · Cited by 253 · see citing works
Meaning making in the dual process model of coping with bereavement.
Stroebe, M., & Schut, H. A. W. (2001) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/10397-003 · Cited by 220 · see citing works
Xie, T., & Pentina, I. (2022) · Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences · doi:10.24251/hicss.2022.258 · Cited by 219 · see citing works
“There Isn't Wifi in Heaven!” Negotiating Visibility on Facebook Memorial Pages
Marwick, A. E., & Ellison, N. B. (2012) · Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media · doi:10.1080/08838151.2012.705197 · Cited by 198 · see citing works
"We will never forget you [online]"
Brubaker, J. R., & Hayes, G. R. (2011) · ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) · doi:10.1145/1958824.1958843 · Cited by 177 · see citing works
Sweeney, C., Potts, C., Ennis, E., Bond, R., Mulvenna, M. D., O’Neill, S. M., Malcolm, M., Kuosmanen, L., Kostenius, C., Vakaloudis, A., et al. (2021) · ACM Transactions on Computing for Healthcare · doi:10.1145/3453175 · Cited by 173 · see citing works
Meaning Reconstruction in the Wake of Loss: Evolution of a Research Program
Neimeyer, R. A. (2016) · Behaviour Change · doi:10.1017/bec.2016.4 · Cited by 165 · see citing works
Self-citationGrundström, J., Konttinen, H. M., Berg, N., & Kiviruusu, O. H. (2021) · SSM - Population Health · doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100774 · Cited by 156 · see citing works
(2012) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203152683 · Cited by 155 · see citing works
A Literature Review of Western Bereavement Theory: From Decathecting to Continuing Bonds
Rothaupt, J. W., & Becker, K. W. (2007) · The Family Journal · doi:10.1177/1066480706294031 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Rosner, R., Pfoh, G., Kotoučová, M., & Hagl, M. (2014) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2014.05.035 · Cited by 133 · cited 1× · see citing works
“From these emerged a wide range of interventions to support mourners, ranging from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) sessions ([11], [18], [74], [86]), expressive writing therapies, ([72], [79], [50]) to group interventions ([23], [94]), and mindfulness and compassion-based interventions [46], just to name a few.”
BackgroundPapa, A., Sewell, M. T., Garrison‐Diehn, C., & Rummel, C. (2013) · Behavior Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.beth.2013.04.009 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
Memorializing Loved Ones on the World Wide Web
de Vries, B., & Rutherford, J. (2004) · OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying · doi:10.2190/dr46-ru57-uy6p-newm · Cited by 116 · see citing works
Techno‐social Life: The Internet, Digital Technology, and Social Connectedness
Chayko, M. (2014) · Sociology Compass · doi:10.1111/soc4.12190 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Communing with the Dead Online: Chatbots, Grief, and Continuing Bonds
Krueger, J. W., & Osler, L. (2022) · Journal of Consciousness Studies · doi:10.53765/20512201.29.9.222 · Cited by 109 · see citing works
Sofka, C. J. (1997) · Death Studies · doi:10.1080/074811897201778 · Cited by 105 · see citing works
Essential Questions on Suicide Bereavement and Postvention
Andriessen, K., & Krysinska, K. (2011) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph9010024 · Cited by 97 · cited 1× · see citing works
“, internet-delivered CBT or iCBT [5], and the use of web/mobile applications (including mourners’ online communities) to create a digital memorial/legacy for the deceased ([24], [28], [6], [63]).”
BackgroundWriting Projects: Lessening Undergraduates' Unique Suicidal Bereavement
Kovac, S. H., & Range, L. M. (2000) · Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior · doi:10.1111/j.1943-278x.2000.tb01064.x · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Sikkema, K. J., Hansen, N. B., Kochman, A., Tate, D. C., & DiFranceisco, W. J. (2004) · Death Studies · doi:10.1080/07481180490276544 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Mindfulness Improves Emotion Regulation and Executive Control on Bereaved Individuals: An fMRI Study
Huang, F., Hsu, A., Hsu, L.-M., Tsai, J., Huang, C., Chao, Y., Hwang, T., & Wu, C. W. (2019) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00541 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Unfinished Business in Bereavement
Klingspon, K. L., Holland, J. M., Neimeyer, R. A., & Lichtenthal, W. G. (2015) · Death Studies · doi:10.1080/07481187.2015.1029143 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Self-citationI said your name in an empty room
Getty, E., Cobb, J., Gabeler, M., Nelson, C., Weng, E., & Hancock, J. T. (2011) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/1978942.1979091 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Web-Based Memorializing After September 11: Toward a Conceptual Framework
Foot, K., Warnick, B., & Schneider, S. M. (2005) · Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication · doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.tb00304.x · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Stokes, P. (2020) · Bloomsbury Academic eBooks · doi:10.5040/9781350139183 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Uriu, D., & Okude, N. (2010) · Designing Interactive Systems Conference · doi:10.1145/1858171.1858253 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Group intervention for widowed survivors of suicide
Constantino, R. E., Sekula, L. K., & Rubinstein, E. N. (2001) · Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior · doi:10.1521/suli.31.4.428.22044 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Social fidelity in virtual agents: Impacts on presence and learning
Sinatra, A. M., Pollard, K. A., Files, B. T., Oiknine, A. H., Ericson, M. A., & Khooshabeh, P. (2020) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2020.106562 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
TOGETHER IN SPIRIT: KEEPING OUR RELATIONSHIPS ALIVE WHEN LOVED ONES DIE
Vickio, C. J. (1999) · Death Studies · doi:10.1080/074811899201127 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
An internet tool to normalize grief
Dominick, S. A., Irvine, A. B., Beauchamp, N., Seeley, J. R., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Doka, K. J., & Bonanno, G. A. (2010) · OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying · doi:10.2190/om.60.1.d · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Re-membering Lives: Conversations with the Dying and the Bereaved
Hedtke, L., & Winslade, J. (2004) · doi:10.2190/rlc · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Writing Therapy for the Bereaved: Evaluation of an Intervention
O’Connor, M., Nikoletti, S., Kristjanson, L. J., Loh, R., & Willcock, B. (2003) · Journal of Palliative Medicine · doi:10.1089/109662103764978443 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Randomised controlled trial of a cognitive narrative intervention for complicated grief in widowhood
Barbosa, V., Sá, M., & Carlos Rocha, J. (2014) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607863.2013.833164 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Exploring remembrance and social support behavior in an online bereavement support group
Massimi, M. (2013) · ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) · doi:10.1145/2441776.2441908 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Stepakoff, S. (2009) · The Arts in Psychotherapy · doi:10.1016/j.aip.2009.01.007 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Nguyen, T. H., Waizenegger, L., & Techatassanasoontorn, A. (2021) · Information Systems Frontiers · doi:10.1007/s10796-021-10212-x · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Baglione, A. N., Girard, M. M., Price, M., Clawson, J., & Shih, P. C. (2018) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3173574.3173990 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Living Memory Home: Understanding Continuing Bond in the Digital Age through Backstage Grieving
She, W. J., Siriaraya, P., Ang, C. S., & Prigerson, H. G. (2021) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3411764.3445336 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Self-citationA Space for Mothers: Grief as Identity Construction on Memorial Websites Created by Sids Parents
Finlay, C. J., & Krueger, G. (2011) · OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying · doi:10.2190/om.63.1.b · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Real (and) Imaginal Relationships with the Dead
Norlock, K. J. (2016) · The Journal of Value Inquiry · doi:10.1007/s10790-016-9573-6 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Bereavement, Gender, and Cyberspace: A Content Analysis of Parents' Memorials to Their Children
Musambira, G. W., Hastings, S. O., & Hoover, J. D. (2007) · OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying · doi:10.2190/r865-85x7-15j0-0713 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Proceedings of the 4th Participatory Innovation Conference 2015
Brouwer, R., ten Bhömer, M., Tomico, O., & Wensveen, S. S. A. G. (2015) · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Widowhood. The continuing relationship with the dead spouse.
Shuchter, S. R., & Zisook, S. W. (1988) · PubMed · Cited by 22 · see citing works
van Velsen, L., Cabrita, M., den Akker, H. O., Brandl, L., Isaac, J., Suárez-Gómez, M., Gouveia, A., de Sousa, R. D., Rodrigues, A. M., Canhão, H. M., et al. (2020) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/19344 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Workshop on Interactive Systems in Healthcare
Hayes, G. R., & Tan, D. S. (2010) · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Techniques of grief therapy creative practices for counseling the bereaved
Etheridge, L. L. (2019) · Journal of Religion Spirituality & Aging · doi:10.1080/15528030.2019.1656142 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
What Happens When the Analyst Dies
Heilbrunn, C. (2019) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780429291494 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Applying NLP to Build a Cold Reading Chatbot
Tracey, P., Saraee, M., & Hughes, C. J. (2021) · International Symposium on Electrical, Electronics and Information Engineering (ISEEIE) · doi:10.1145/3459104.3459119 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
1 of the 69 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 23
- EA AlGamal, S Bin Saeed, M Agnes, and T Long. 2016. Prolonged grief disorder and its association with perceived social support. Medicine 42 (2016), 18-6.
- Lorena Alonso-Llácer, Pilar Barreto Martín, Marta Ramos-Campos, Patricia Mesa-Gresa, Laura Lacomba-Trejo, and Marian Pérez-Marín. 2020. Mindfulness and grief: The MADED program mindfulness for the acceptance of pain and emotions in grief. Psicooncologia 17, 1 (2020).
- American Psychiatric Association et al. 2019. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5®): American Psychiatric Pub; 2013. J. Physiother. Res., Salvador 9, 2 (2019), 155-158.
- Blanka Bálint et al. 2017. The Griever as a Stranger. A Discussion. Acta Univer- sitatis Sapientiae, Social Analysis 7 (2017), 39-77.
- Eileen Bendig, Benjamin Erb, Lea Schulze-Thuesing, and Harald Baumeister. 2019. The next generation: chatbots in clinical psychology and psychotherapy to foster mental health-a scoping review. Verhaltenstherapie (2019), 1-13.
- John Bowlby. 1969. Attachment and loss v. 3 (Vol. 1).
- John Bowlby. 1982. Attachment and loss: retrospect and prospect. American journal of Orthopsychiatry 52, 4 (1982), 664.
- Priya Choudhary, Rachna Devi, Samreen Naz, and Komal Rai. 2021. Social Connectedness, Spirituality, Quality of Life, and Hopelessness among Older Adults. Annals of the Romanian Society for Cell Biology 25, 6 (2021), 12241-12253.
- Victoria Clarke, Virginia Braun, and Nikki Hayfield. 2015. Thematic analysis. Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods 222, 2015 (2015), 248.
- Alexis Elder. 2021. Conversation from Beyond the Grave? A Neo-Confucian Ethics of Chatbots of the Dead. Journal of Applied Philosophy (2021), 100012.
- Russell Fulmer, Angela Joerin, Breanna Gentile, Lysanne Lakerink, and Michiel Rauws. 2018. Using psychological artificial intelligence (Tess) to relieve symp- toms of depression and anxiety: randomized controlled trial. JMIR mental health 5, 4 (2018), e64.
- Khalil G Ghanem, Heidi E Hutton, Jonathan M Zenilman, Rebecca Zimba, and Emily J Erbelding. 2005. Audio computer assisted self interview and face to face interview modes in assessing response bias among STD clinic patients. Sexually transmitted infections 81, 5 (2005), 421-425.
- Lorraine Hedtke and John Winslade. 2016. Remembering lives: Conversations with the dying and the bereaved. Routledge.
- Jason M Holland, Christopher P Plant, Kara L Klingspon, and Robert A Neimeyer. 2020. Bereavement-related regrets and unfinished business with the deceased. Death studies 44, 1 (2020), 42-47.
- Chen Jiang. 2020. Memoron: How to provide support to people in grief with AI technology? Master's thesis. Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.
- Kira Kretzschmar, Holly Tyroll, Gabriela Pavarini, Arianna Manzini, Ilina Singh, and NeurOx Young People's Advisory Group. 2019. Can your phone be your therapist? Young people's ethical perspectives on the use of fully automated con- versational agents (chatbots) in mental health support. Biomedical informatics insights 11 (2019), 1178222619829083.
- Kien Hoa Ly, Ann-Marie Ly, and Gerhard Andersson. 2017. A fully automated conversational agent for promoting mental well-being: A pilot RCT using mixed methods. Internet interventions 10 (2017), 39-46.
- Robert A Neimeyer, Scott A Baldwin, and James Gillies. 2006. Continuing bonds and reconstructing meaning: Mitigating complications in bereavement. Death studies 30, 8 (2006), 715-738.
- Gary M Olson and Judith S Olson. 2000. Distance matters. Human-computer interaction 15, 2-3 (2000), 139-178.
- M. Range, Stacey H. Kovac, and Lillian Michelle S. Marion. 2000. Does writing about the bereavement lessen grief following sudden, unintentional death? Death studies 24, 2 (2000), 115-134.
- Kerstin Ruhland, Christopher E Peters, Sean Andrist, Jeremy B Badler, Norman I Badler, Michael Gleicher, Bilge Mutlu, and Rachel McDonnell. 2015. A review of eye gaze in virtual agents, social robotics and hci: Behaviour generation, user interaction and perception. In Computer graphics forum, Vol. 34. Wiley Online Library, 299-326.
- Tracy J Trothen. 2022. Replika: Spiritual Enhancement Technology? Religions 13, 4 (2022), 275.
- Marloes Wezel, Emmelyn AJ Croes, Marjolijn L Antheunis, et al. 2020. "I'm Here for You": Can Social Chatbots Truly Support Their Users? A Literature Review. In International Workshop on Chatbot Research and Design. Springer, 96-113.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
When Human-AI Interactions Become Parasocial: Agency and Anthropomorphism in Affective Design
Maeda, T., & Quan-Haase, A. (2024) · The 2024 ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency · doi:10.1145/3630106.3658956 · Cited by 144 · see citing works
Hollanek, T., & Nowaczyk-Basińska, K. (2024) · Philosophy & Technology · doi:10.1007/s13347-024-00744-w · Cited by 170 · see citing works
Alabed, A., Javornik, A., Gregory‐Smith, D., & Casey, R. (2023) · European Journal of Marketing · doi:10.1108/ejm-01-2023-0037 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Ethical Implications of Chatbot Utilization in Nephrology
Valencia, O. A. G., Suppadungsuk, S., Thongprayoon, C., Miao, J., Tangpanithandee, S., Craici, I. M., & Cheungpasitporn, W. (2023) · Journal of Personalized Medicine · doi:10.3390/jpm13091363 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Xygkou, A., Ang, C. S., Siriaraya, P., Kopecki, J. P., Covaci, A., Kanjo, E., & She, W. J. (2024) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3613904.3642538 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Self-citationCustomizing Emotional Support: How Do Individuals Construct and Interact With LLM-Powered Chatbots
Zheng, X., Li, Z., Gui, X., & Luo, Y. (2025) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3706598.3713453 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Arakawa, R., & Yakura, H. (2024) · ACM Conference on Conversational User Interfaces (CUI) · doi:10.1145/3640794.3665549 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Exploring the Potential of Chatbots in Critical Care Nephrology
Suppadungsuk, S., Thongprayoon, C., Miao, J., Krisanapan, P., Qureshi, F., KASHANI, K. B., & Cheungpasitporn, W. (2023) · Medicines · doi:10.3390/medicines10100058 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Embracing grief in the age of deathbots: a temporary tool, not a permanent solution
Bao, A., & Zeng, Y. (2024) · Ethics and Information Technology · doi:10.1007/s10676-024-09744-y · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Kavitha, K., Joshith, V. P., & Sharma, S. (2024) · E-Learning and Digital Media · doi:10.1177/20427530241259099 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Can Chatbots Preserve Our Relationships with the Dead?
Campbell, S., LIU, P., & Nyholm, S. (2025) · Journal of the American Philosophical Association · doi:10.1017/apa.2025.1 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Grimme, S. A., Spoerl, S. M., Boll, S., & Koelle, M. (2024) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3613904.3642851 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
A Map of Exploring Human Interaction Patterns with LLM: Insights into Collaboration and Creativity
Li, J., Li, J., & Su, Y. (2024) · Lecture notes in computer science · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-60615-1_5 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Promising for patients or deeply disturbing? The ethical and legal aspects of deepfake therapy
Hoek, S., Metselaar, S., Ploem, M. C., & Bak, M. (2024) · Journal of Medical Ethics · doi:10.1136/jme-2024-109985 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Chatting with artificial intelligence to combat antibiotic resistance: Opportunities and challenges
Abavisani, M., Khoshrou, A., Foroushan, S. K., & Sahebkar, A. (2024) · Current Research in Biotechnology · doi:10.1016/j.crbiot.2024.100197 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Ahmed, N., Liu, X., Al-Hazwani, I., & Huang, E. M. (2024) · CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA) · doi:10.1145/3613905.3650842 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Wu, X., Liew, K., & Dorahy, M. J. (2025) · JMIR AI · doi:10.2196/68960 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
A Game of Love for Women: Social Support in Otome Game Mr. Love: Queen’s Choice in China
Lei, Q., Tang, R., Ho, H. M., Zhou, H., Guo, J., & Tang, Z. (2024) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3613904.3642306 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
"AI Afterlife" as Digital Legacy: Perceptions, Expectations, and Concerns
Lei, Y., Ma, S., Sun, Y., & Ma, X. (2025) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3706598.3713933 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
AI and Technology in Grief Support: Clinical Implications and Ethical Considerations
Yang, N., & Khanna, G. J. (2025) · The Counseling Psychologist · doi:10.1177/00110000251352568 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
LeFevre, C., & Chung, C.-F. (2024) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3613904.3641968 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Hutson, J. (2024) · Springer series on cultural computing · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-57746-8_14 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Maintaining Continuing Bonds in Bereavement: A Participatory Design Process of Be.side
Kim, J., Uriu, D., Barbareschi, G., Kamiyama, Y., & Minamizawa, K. (2024) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3613904.3642386 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
de Luna, I. B., & Jiménez-Alonso, B. (2024) · Studies in Psychology Estudios de Psicología · doi:10.1177/02109395241241387 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Emerging Ideas. A brief commentary on human– AI attachment and possible impacts on family dynamics
McDaniel, B. T., Coupe, A., Weston, A., & Pater, J. A. (2025) · Family Relations · doi:10.1111/fare.13188 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Genzer, S., Adiva, Y. B., & Perry, A. (2023) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781009281072 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
TeleAbsence: A Vision of Past and Afterlife Telepresence
Ishii, H., Pillis, D., Pataranutaporn, P., Xiao, X., Noh, H., Li, L., Algargoosh, A. S., & Labrune, J. (2024) · PRESENCE Virtual and Augmented Reality · doi:10.1162/pres_a_00441 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Yu, Q., & Lan, X. (2024) · Proceedings of the Twelfth International Symposium of Chinese CHI · doi:10.1145/3758871.3758884 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Eum, K., & Doh, Y. Y. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1154976 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Challenging Futures: Using Chatbots to Reflect on Aging and Dementia
Khot, R., Arets, T., Wester, J., Burger, F., van Berkel, N., Brankaert, R., IJsselsteijn, W. A., & Lee, M. (2025) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3706598.3713727 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Grief and virtual reality: continuing bonds with virtual avatars
Rovetta, F. F., & Valentini, D. (2025) · Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1007/s11097-025-10072-9 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Digital Replacement of the Dead: A Legitimate Worry?
Buben, A. (2025) · Philosophy & Technology · doi:10.1007/s13347-025-00913-5 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Towards an experiential ethics of AI and robots: A review of empirical research on human encounters
Fischer, B., & Frennert, S. (2025) · Technological forecasting & social change · doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2025.124264 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Li, Y., Ding, X. X., Chen, Y., Li, Y., & Ma, N. (2025) · Designing Interactive Systems Conference · doi:10.1145/3715336.3735795 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Xue, F., & Cheng, X. (2025) · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2025.2543995 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
The Sorrows of Young Chatbot Users: Harm and Responsibility in Human-AI Relationships
Voinea, C., Register, C., Mann, S. P., Savulescu, J., & Earp, B. D. (2026) · Topoi · doi:10.1007/s11245-026-10371-z · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Wang, C.-L., & Tseng, Y.-C. (2024) · Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3613905.3650957 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Uriu, D., & Arima, S. (2025) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3706598.3713399 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Using LLMs for self-care: User and counsellor perspectives
Wester, J., de Jong, S., Pohl, H., & van Berkel, N. (2025) · International Journal of Human-Computer Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2025.103589 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Grief as a Quest for Meaning: Review of a Research Program
Neimeyer, R. A. (2026) · Journal of Constructivist Psychology · doi:10.1080/10720537.2026.2688401 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Self-citationNanthanasit, A., Ppali, S., Farao, J., Tabbaa, L., Ang, C. S., Sukittanon, S., & Covaci, A. (2025) · Designing Interactive Systems Conference · doi:10.1145/3715336.3735802 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Self-citationArtificial Afterlife: Philosophical Reflections on Griefbots
Zanotti, G., & Chiffi, D. (2025) · Studies in applied philosophy, epistemology and rational ethics · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-98808-0_14 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Manevich, A., & Aluma, S. (2025) · OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying · doi:10.1177/00302228251372418 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Co-construction with deathbots: a form of existentialist practice
Zhang, Z., Donghui, D., & Liu, X. (2025) · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · doi:10.1057/s41599-025-04876-y · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Jamieson, J., Akahori, W., & Yamashita, N. (2025) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3706598.3713684 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
A Prompt Chaining Framework for Long-Term Recall in LLM-Powered Intelligent Assistant
Seo, S., Yoo, S., & Jang, Y. (2025) · Proceedings of the 30th International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces · doi:10.1145/3708359.3712117 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Relational Affect in Dyadic Interactions
Somandepalli, K., Siy, J. O., & Jou, B. (2024) · CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA) · doi:10.1145/3613905.3637206 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Ready or not, the digital afterlife is here
Worth, T. (2025) · Nature · doi:10.1038/d41586-025-02940-w · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Empowering mental health professionals in asynchronous online psychotherapy with GenAI
Bucher, A. M., Vashkite, I., Staehelin, D., Dolata, M., & Schwabe, G. (2026) · International Journal of Mental Health Systems · doi:10.1186/s13033-026-00700-5 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Bondi: Designing Tangible and Multimodal Interfaces for Continuing Bonds in Pet Bereavement
Xiong, N., Li, Y., Chin, M. C., & Zhu, K. (2026) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3772318.3791971 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Post-Loss Growth (PLG) in bereavement: The missing link in posttraumatic growth
Malkinson, R., Witztum, E., Neimeyer, R. A., & Rubin, S. S. (2026) · Death Studies · doi:10.1080/07481187.2026.2705378 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Self-citationLeveraging Human-AI Partnership Approach to Unravel Human Psychological Constructs
Meng, H. (2025) · CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA) · doi:10.1145/3706599.3707609 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Ethics at the Frontier of Human-AI Relationships
Shevlin, H. (2025) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198940272.013.0009 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
«A Voice without Hypostasis»: an Eastern Orthodox Assessment of Posthumous Digital Simulations
Popov, A. M., & Popova, L. (2026) · Theology Theory and Practice · doi:10.65324/ttp024 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Remember You: Understanding How Users Use Deadbots to Reconstruct Memories of the Deceased
Li, Y., & Lan, X. (2026) · CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA) · doi:10.1145/3772363.3798614 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Kolb, D., Heindl, F., Gloe, M., & Kranzlmüller, D. A. (2026) · CHI Extended Abstracts · doi:10.1145/3772363.3799277 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Wang, L., Gao, Y., Anyi, C. L., & Goel, A. K. (2026) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3772318.3790279 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Keller, T., Moser, M., & Scherer, C. (2026) · Designing Interactive Systems Conference · doi:10.1145/3802974.3809414 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
From Simulacra to Reanimation: Resurrecting the (Un)Dead
Hutson, J. (2024) · Springer series on cultural computing · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-66320-8_6 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Accessibility in Digital Health
Koukopoulos, A., & Danias, Ν. (2024) · Advances in healthcare information systems and administration book series · doi:10.4018/979-8-3693-1463-0.ch002 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Are Attributions of Consciousness to AI Chatbots Epistemically Innocent?
Peters, U. (2026) · Minds and Machines · doi:10.1007/s11023-026-09795-8
Internet-based grief therapy program for bereaved individuals at risk: A case series study
Baş, S., & Yorulmaz, O. (2023) · Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi · doi:10.57127/kpd.26024438m0000110
Unpacking Negative Feelings and Perceptual Gaps About Social Interactions with Conversational AI
Guan, H., Jamieson, J., Gao, G., & Yamashita, N. (2025) · CHI Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA) · doi:10.1145/3706599.3719975
Reimagining Human-AI Social Collaboration
Wang, L., & Goel, A. K. (2025) · Proceedings of the AAAI Symposium Series · doi:10.1609/aaaiss.v5i1.35575
Digital survival with griefbots
Gan, N. (2025) · Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1007/s11097-025-10128-w
Otenen, E., Jain, P., & Stolterman, E. (2025) · International Conference on Human-Agent Interaction (HAI) · doi:10.1145/3765766.3765852
The phenomenon of grief chatbots in Serbia: Cultural challenges of digital replicas of the deceased
Šović, M., & Škobo, M. (2026) · Univerzitetska misao - casopis za nauku kulturu i umjetnost Novi Pazar · doi:10.5937/univmis2525026s
Agarwal, K., Balakumar, N. S., & Ragul, L. (2026) · Advances in computational intelligence and robotics book series · doi:10.4018/979-8-3373-6623-4.ch011
(2026) · Leidfaden · doi:10.13109/leid.2026.15.1.85
Nanthanasit, A., Ppali, S., She, W.-J., Siriaraya, P., Piumsomboon, T., Sukittanon, S., Ang, C. S., & Covaci, A. (2026) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3772318.3791965
Self-citationHollis, A. S. (2026) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3772318.3790586 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Griefbots: Retos de la inteligencia artificial en tiempos del duelo mediado por lo digital
Sarasty, L. V., Pertuz, M. C. V., & Velandia, A. F. R. (2025) · Tesis Psicológica · doi:10.37511/tesis.v20n2a1
Regenerated Memories: How Remembrances can be Shaped by Visualization with Generative AI
Wang, S., Xiao, H., Yeom, I., Gu, Y., & Lc, R. (2025) · International Conference on Human-Engaged Computing (ICHEC) · doi:10.1145/3786995.3787031
Sztuczna inteligencja a sztuczna świadomość. Między rozumem a symulacją
Jaworski, K. (2026) · Wrocławski Przegląd Teologiczny. · doi:10.52097/wpt.9787
Designing Conversations with the Dead: How People Engage with Generative Ghosts
Manning, J. M., Sullivan, D., Doyle, D. T., Pinter, A. T., & Brubaker, J. R. (2026) · Designing Interactive Systems Conference · doi:10.1145/3800645.3813090
Uriu, D., & Arima, S. (2026) · Designing Interactive Systems Conference · doi:10.1145/3800645.3812896
Cook, S., Caldwell, N. H. M., & Richards, S. (2026) · Design for Health · doi:10.1080/24735132.2026.2684830
Sheikh, M., Chen, C., & Haque, M. R. (2026) · ACM Interactive Health Conference · doi:10.1145/3786579.3804968
A Theoretical Reasoning About Trust in AI Generated Agents for Deceased Individuals
Moser, M., & Keller, T. (2026) · Lecture notes in computer science · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-30846-7_33
Chen, M., Xu, Q., & Nah, S. (2026) · Lecture notes in computer science · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-30860-3_14
Griefbots—A New Virtual Reality for Our Youths?
Sousa, A. L., Cândido, M. L., Sousa, M., Martins, O., Walter, C. E., & Au‐Yong‐Oliveira, M. (2026) · Lecture notes in networks and systems · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-32029-2_19
Designing for Grief: Bereaved Adults’ Perspectives on Conversational Support
Kayesu, A., Lalwani, H., & Salam, H. (2026) · ACM Conference on Conversational User Interfaces (CUI) · doi:10.1145/3816046.3816279
Uddin, M. R., Anima, A. H., Arnab, S. M. R., Biswas, S., & Noor, J. (2026) · ACM SIGCAS/SIGCHI Conference on Computing and Sustainable Societies (COMPASS) · doi:10.1145/3811242.3819999
Designing Ethical AI Grief Support: A Value Sensitive Design Framework for Chronic Illness Care
Jia, S., Chi, O. H., & Tseng, H.-T. (2026) · ACM SIGMIS Database the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems · doi:10.1145/3822165.3822169
Li, B., Huang, Y., & Zhang, R. (2026) · Psychology and Marketing · doi:10.1002/mar.70252
Lapointe, V. A., Calazana, F., Dubé, S., Neppel, R.-M., Blum, S., & Lafortune, D. (2026) · Computers in Human Behavior Artificial Humans · doi:10.1016/j.chbah.2026.100384
A Scoping Review of Ethical Considerations in the Use of AI for Bereavement-related Grief Support
Ong, Y. T., Dunn, M., & Schaefer, G. O. (2026) · Neuroethics · doi:10.1007/s12152-026-09670-4
From Familiarity to Transformation: Rethinking Griefbots in the Grieving ProcessPreprint
Jacobs, J., Lau, A., EL-Sheikh, A., Woods, A., & Li, Q. (2026) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-9761483/v1
Scoping Review: Digital Communication with the Dead
Shakti, R. (2026) · Digital Society · doi:10.1007/s44206-026-00291-1
Zhu, Z., Song, T., Lim, J., Yang, C.-L., & Lee, Y. (2026) · Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1145/3816998
MemoryAn: A Proactive, Generative Companion Agent for Continuing Bonds in Pet Bereavement
Zhao, Y., Cheng, Y., Yang, Z., Dong, T., & Meng, L. (2026) · International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services (MobileHCI) · doi:10.1145/3821581.3833105
Fang, C. M., Liu, A. R., Danry, V., Lee, E., Chan, S. W. T., Pataranutaporn, P., Maes, P., Phang, J., Lampe, M., Ahmad, L., et al. (2025) · arXiv · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2503.17473 · Cited by 109
- Authors
- Xygkou, A., Siriaraya, P., Covaci, A., Prigerson, H. G., Neimeyer, R., Ang, C. S., & She, W.-J.
- Affiliations
- University of Kent (GB)
- Kyoto Institute of Technology (JP)
- Weill Cornell Medicine (US)
- University of Memphis (US)
- Nara Institute of Science and Technology (JP)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
- Publisher
- ACM
- Published
- 2023-04-19
- Pages
- 1-15
- OpenAlex
- W4366549502
- Cited by
- 91
- References
- 69
- Citations by year
- 2026: 34 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 6
- FWCI
- 331.99
- Type
- conference paper
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (publishedVersion)
- Kent Academic Repository (University of Kent) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/S018964/1)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Social Robot Interaction and HRI
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Keywords
- chatbots, grief, bereavement, emotional support, coping with loss, loneliness, self-identity, emotion coaching
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
