Orthodox Catholic philosopher Joe Vukov discusses the moral implications of using artificial intelligence to cope with the loss of loved ones. This year is shaping up to be the year of artificial intelligence. ChatGPT has stolen most of the headlines, but it is only the most infamous in a wide assortment AI platforms. One of the most recent to arrive on the scene is HereAfter AI, an app that can "preserve memories with an app that interviews you about your life." The goal: to "let loved ones hear meaningful stories by chatting with the virtual you."

Losing someone you love can be hard. Being unable to share their presence, touch them, or talk to them again can be even harder. For years, technology has offered a way for the bereaved to stay connected to those they've lost, whether that's through photos or videos. Things can now go one step further, however, as artificial intelligence can now be used to'resurrect' the dead so you can have a conversation with them. READ NEXT: 150-year-old'time traveller' painting shows woman using an iPhone in shock discovery For just £8, you can pay to build a chatbot that mimics the behaviour of someone you've lost.

What if you could talk to a digital facsimile of a deceased loved one? Would you really be talking to them? Would you even want to? In recent years, technology has been employed to resurrect the dead, mostly in the form of departed celebrities. Carrie Fisher was digitally rendered in order to reprise her role as Princess Leia in the latest "Star Wars" film.

Google engineer Supasorn Suwajanakorn developed a tool which, fed with the right input, can create a realistic fake video that mimics the way a person talks by closely observing existing footage of their mouth and teeth to create the perfect lip-sync. It could be used to create videos of dead relatives - but also to create'deepfake' videos for nefarious purposes, he warned. Such technology could be used to create virtual versions of those who have passed - grandparents could be asked for advice; actors returned to the screen; great teachers give lessons, or authors read their works aloud, according to Suwajanakorn. 'Wouldn't it be great if you could ask our grandparents for advice and hear those comforting words, even if they're no longer with us?' he told the TED Conference in Vancouver earlier this year. However, he also revealed he has also developed a'Reality Defender' app to spot the deepfake videos created using the technology.