Think from KERA A.I. is writing obits now
Feb 11, 2026
Drew Harwell, a Washington Post technology reporter who covers AI and society. He explores obituary-writing A.I., why funeral homes and families turn to it, and the tradeoffs between quick drafts and losing personal nuance. Conversations cover hallucinations, templated phrasing, time savings, and using A.I. as a starting point that still needs heavy personalization.
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Son Uses ChatGPT To Write His Mom's Obituary
- Jeff Fargo used ChatGPT days after his mother died to generate an obituary when he felt emotionally raw.
- He published the AI draft in her local paper and called the result a helpful gift in a difficult moment.
Funeral Homes Adopt AI To Save Staff Time
- Funeral directors increasingly outsource obituary drafting to AI to save hours of staff time.
- AI can produce a publishable obituary in seconds given accurate family information.
Reporter Discovers Widespread Industry Use
- Drew Harwell found AI obituary use was more widespread than expected after his father-in-law's death.
- He learned companies servicing tens of thousands of funeral homes reported tens or hundreds of thousands of AI obituaries in recent years.