When someone dies, the last thing most families want to do is write. Yet obituaries must be written often quickly, under stress, and with the impossible task of summing up a life. Increasingly, families are turning to AI for help; 65% of individuals now use AI frequently, and a number of families find AI writing obituary tools highly useful. 

Why People Are Turning to AI for Obituaries

The shift toward AI writing obituaries is driven by need and inspiration. Conventional professional services such as HonorYou’s $67 obituary writing take a 20-30 minute consultation and a 24-hour delivery period, which is not at all convenient if families are in a hurry.

COVID accelerated this trend, HonorYou notes, “The transition from traditional to digital memorials gained substantial traction during the COVID-19 pandemic” because families needed ways to mourn their deceased while being on lockdown. 

Not to forget, financial considerations also matter. Families look for affordable options for each memorial service and end up saving so much money when AI writes obituary materials, and within minutes, they obtain the results instead of waiting 24 hours.

Pros and Cons of Using AI to Write an Obituary

When AI writes obituary pieces, families get fully written tributes within minutes, necessary for tight newspaper deadlines and time-sensitive funeral plans. Affordable pricing is the large deciding factor, with AI writing costing a small fraction compared to the professional services while still having the ability to have unlimited revisions. 

Unlike human writers, AI can be accessed anytime, which is useful, especially when loss is unexpected, allowing for emotional distance, which assists families in planning without being overwhelmed.

But AI cannot replicate human understanding, as HonourYou notes, “Every life is unique and has a story to tell,” which means AI needs human help to fully convey a deceased life. There are different faiths and particular cultures that machines will not comprehend unless specifically programmed, which means technology takes information literally, not emotionally, making AI miss crucial information.

What Information to Gather Before Using AI

To successfully write an obituary with AI, it needs extensive preparation. Feed AI biographic information, consisting of full name, date of birth, death, age, nicknames, educational accomplishments, and full career background, not forgetting to provide family relationships with detail.

Personal traits are crucial for a meaningful obituary. Collect information on hobbies, volunteer activities, religious preference, and service to community, but be specific when feeding information to AI, so instead of having statements such as “he/she enjoyed reading,” you would have statements like “spent thirty years operating the church library, donating thousands of volumes to hospitals, schools, and other charities.”

Most of all, remember three to five stories capturing the deceased’s character, values, or impact on other people. Such stories turn obituaries from biographical summaries into emotional eulogies. 

Step-by-Step: How to Use AI to Write an Obituary

Pick your AI platform with care, as each handles obituary uniquely. ChatGPT is ideal for conversation, Gemini is good for emotionally intelligent answers, Jasper for template-based solutions, and Copy.ai for SEO-optimal solutions.

Write a detailed prompt by saying, “Please produce a respectful obituary for [full name], who passed away on [date], aged [age].” and place all information gathered in concise sections, starting with family relationships, career history, and hobbies, and ending with fond memories.

Keep in mind, the quality of content produced by the AI depends entirely on the extent of detail provided in the input, so detailed prompts produce ideal end products.

Submit your prompt and review your 200-400 word draft; don’t expect it to be perfect on the first try, for even experienced writers rarely produce final products on the first attempt. Finally, have a few family members review the final version before publication. With an AI-written obituary, human editing is still required to give accuracy and clarity.

Tips to Make AI-Generated Obituaries More Personal

Everyone speaks in his own way and has personal favorite sayings. In AI-written obituary pieces, it speaks with a formal third-person tone. Personalize it by requesting the tone to be changed specifically, e.g., “Please make it friendly and casual” or “Add gentle humor to reflect his personality.”

If the deceased had favorite biblical texts, songs, poetry, or personal philosophies, incorporate these within the prompt, not just add them at the end. Because AI-written obituary pieces that have meaningful quotations from the deceased will help to build deeper emotional connections with the reader.

Blend accomplishment with attributes of character, for the character teaches us more than professional success. Add moments of kindness, generosity, humor, or resilience. Because when AI-written obituary pieces focus on character, the writing is more compelling and memorable.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

When confronted with more information than they can process, the AI become confused or repeat information. Avoid this problem by breaking long requests into small, controllable parts, building the obituary gradually, starting with basic biographic information, and proceeding to family history, career highlights, and character traits by separate requests.

Many AI tools draw on generic obituary templates, resulting in cookie-cutter outcomes. If AI produces content that is generic, you can request certain modifications, e.g., “Rewrite this in a more unique and personal way,” or “Avoid generic obituary language and write something more unique.”

AI can choose an inappropriate tone without guidance. You must specify your desired tone in your prompt, whether “warm, conversational style” or “formal, traditional obituary language.” Giving such guidance helps the AI adapt to family expectations and cultural sensitivities.

Best AI Tools for Obituary Writing (and How They Differ)

ChatGPT excels within the space of back-and-forth conversations and constant refinement. When we ask ChatGPT to write an obituary, we engage in a thoughtful conversation that enables refinement of the drafts. 

Gemini shines at the ability to produce well-developed and contextually appropriate answers, illustrating the increased emotional intelligence necessary to write obituaries.

Jasper offers templates across several types of content, including obituaries, with structured methods that guide users through information gathering. Jasper really stands out when funeral homes are dealing with multiple obituaries that require similar formatting, although it offers less flexibility for individual requests.

Copy.ai focuses on professional copywriting, with built-in SEO optimization. For families seeking to post obituaries on the internet, Copy.ai optimizes content for search engines while also retaining readability.

Ethical and Emotional Considerations When Using AI

Application of artificial intelligence in writing obituaries raises issues of respect and authenticity. Whereas relatives can argue that AI is not capable of grieving human loss as profoundly as an individual, it is important that they view the AI as more of a tool meant to add value to the obituary than to replace the human element.

Choosing an AI with comprehensively documented privacy policies and solid information security measures is paramount. Where possible, share only general information instead of specific one; for example, sharing regional insights instead of city-level information, or citing years instead of specific dates.

Various cultures have varying practices regarding death and remembering individuals. AI probably doesn’t pick up on these without explicit instructions. One should specify cultural or religious preference in the writing prompt to ensure the tone and content suit different communities.

Should you use AI to write obituaries?

The funeral industry’s transformation is evident, with 45% more funeral homes today offering digital memorial services to address the changing needs of society. HonorYou’s Memorial Garden, available online, allows loved ones from around the world to view funeral programs and read obituaries, highlighting how technology can create human bonds in times of grief.

When human efforts get merged with articles written by artificial intelligence, technology becomes a helping friend to families on the most difficult day. The aim, however, is the same, to present meaningful eulogies to commemorate life and preserve memory.