The death of Dolly Parton last month prompted an unusual wave of artificial intelligence-generated content, ranging from musical tributes to video compilations. One viral creation, a country song titled Run Jolene credited to an anonymous AI project called Country Mile, garnered over 1.4 million views across social platforms despite being widely recognized as computer-generated material. The video depicts Parton in pursuit of the titular character, with deceased celebrities observing from heaven.
This phenomenon is part of a broader trend termed “deathslop”—AI-generated content created as tributes to deceased public figures. The content is typically generated using freely available AI image generators and video tools, often without authorization from the deceased person’s estate or family. Similar AI-generated depictions have been created for other deceased individuals, including Robin Williams, Elvis Presley, Kobe Bryant and Martin Luther King Jr. Parton’s family publicly objected to these creations, with her sister requesting that users cease sharing the material.
The proliferation of such content has raised legal and ethical questions. OpenAI’s Sora, which powered many early examples of deathslop, was shut down in April following controversies related to its capacity to generate violent and racist imagery, copyright infringement concerns, and other issues. Numerous alternative AI video generators have since emerged to fill the void. Legal frameworks remain unclear regarding whether AI companies bear responsibility for user-generated content, and deceased individuals currently lack legal protections against libelous AI depictions.
Parallel to celebrity deathslop, a more personalized form of digital mourning has emerged through “generative ghosts”—AI systems designed to simulate deceased loved ones. Platforms such as Seance, Re;memory and Versona allow users to upload photos and videos of deceased individuals while describing their characteristics, creating interactive digital presences. Some individuals have begun incorporating AI into end-of-life planning. One company, Treasured Memories, uses AI to generate obituaries based on user-provided biographical information and tone preferences.
Academia has begun examining this landscape, with researchers studying how generative AI is reshaping mourning practices. Graduate students and scholars are exploring questions of consent, privacy and the psychological implications of digital grief. Some individuals creating these systems emphasize personal healing and recovery, while others stress the importance of obtaining consent from the individual before death or from families afterward.
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