Theme: Technology

Project Description

AI companions that simulate the voice, personality and memories of a deceased loved one (i.e., griefbots or deadbots) are already in use by thousands of bereaved people, yet almost nothing is known about their real psychological impact on the grief process. Do they help people process loss, or do they complicate and prolong it? As these tools spread faster than the evidence base that should guide their design and clinical use, this question has become urgent.

Based at the University of Nottingham and supervised jointly across the School of Computer Science and School of Medicine, this project will investigate how griefbots and deadbots affect bereaved individuals, their families, and the wider grief process across the lifespan. The project combines clinical and computer science perspectives with meaningful involvement from people with lived experience of bereavement, and will generate evidence to help shape more responsible design and use of this fast-growing technology. This work sits within a wider, internationally-recognised programme on Responsible AI in death and dying.

You will be part of the Midlands+ Mental Health and Neuroscience Doctoral Training Partnership (2027 cohort), with co-supervision spanning the University of Nottingham and the University of Warwick, access to interdisciplinary training across computer science, clinical psychology and bereavement research, and a cohort-based programme of professional development alongside fellow doctoral researchers.

We’re looking for a clinically-engaged candidate from psychology, psychiatry, nursing, allied health or a related clinical background with a genuine interest in grief, bereavement, and the ethical and psychological questions raised by emerging AI technologies. No prior AI experience is required; curiosity about where technology and mental health meet matters more than a technical background.

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch to discuss the project before applying.