up for an account – a relatively simple process
that begins by visiting https://chat.openai.com.
A lot of the news coverage has revolved around
the use of ChatGPT by students on writing projects.
What’s equivalent to that in the world of funeral
service? Writing obituaries!
I was bold and I typed in the question “How can
AI help a family write an obituary?”
Here’s what ChatGPT had to say:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a useful tool to help
a family write an obituary in a few different ways.
Here are some ways that AI can assist:
Generate
a template:
An AI-powered
writing
assistant
could
help
generate
a template
for
an obituary, with prompts and guidelines for what
information to include. This could make the process
of writing an obituary less overwhelming, especially
for those who are grieving.
Offer suggestions and editing: An AI language
model can suggest changes or improvements to the
language, style, and tone of an obituary, making it
more coherent and professional. It can also provide
guidance on the length of the obituary, which details
to include, and what to leave out.
Researching and gathering information: AI-
powered algorithms can help to scan for relevant
information from various sources about the person's
life, such as their work history, education, and
hobbies, which can be used to write a more complete
and accurate obituary.
Translation: If the obituary needs to be translated
into a different language, AI-powered translation
tools can assist with the process, making it easier for
family members who may not speak the language
fluently.
Revision history and backup: AI can also be used to
save revisions of the obituary, making it easier for the
family to make changes and track the version history.
This also ensures that the obituary is backed up and
can be easily retrieved if needed.
While AI may not be able to replace the personal
touch and sentiment of an obituary written by
a family member, it can be a helpful tool to assist
with the process and help make the process of writing
an obituary less daunting.
Whoa! I was blown away. That is, word for word,
punctuation mark for punctuation mark, what
ChatGPT spit out in response to my question.
It’s eerily similar to something you might expect
a real human being would write. It’s no wonder
there’s been so much coverage in the media.
But, as ChatGPT points out in the last paragraph,
no robot can completely replace the emotion
and nuance that a human writer offers –
whether it’s an obituary, a term paper or copy
for a social media marketing campaign.
But, if you or a family wanted to use ChatGPT
as a starting point for writing an obituary, what
would you get?
I asked, “Can you write an obituary about
my Aunt Susie?”
Here’s what ChatGPT offered:
I'm sorry for your loss. [A nice touch.] Here is
an obituary for your Aunt Susie:
Susie (last name), aged XX, passed away on (date
of passing) in (city and state of passing). She was
born on (date of birth) in (city and state of birth) to
(names of parents).
Susie was a beloved wife, mother, sister, and
aunt, and is survived by (list of surviving family
members). She was known for her kind heart, her
infectious laugh, and her unwavering devotion to
her family and friends.
Throughout her life, Susie worked as a (occupation)
and was deeply committed to her career. She was
admired by her colleagues for her hard work,
intelligence, and dedication to her job.
In her free time, Susie enjoyed (list of hobbies or
interests). She was passionate about (any notable
causes or charitable organizations she supported).
Susie was also an avid traveler, and loved exploring
new places and cultures with her loved ones.
Those who knew Susie will remember her as a warm,
compassionate, and fiercely independent woman
The responses and suggested tactics
presented by ChatGPT and AI were
solid, but somewhat broad – no context,
background information, and highly
specific information. They lacked specific
details on how to bring ideas to fruition
or what exactly might work best given
the composition of your community.
That’s something only you can bring to
the table, but if you’re stuck and need to
jump start your creativity
– ChatGPT may be a good alternative.
It's a free tool you can add to
your arsenal to help you expand
your horizons.
THANOS MAGAZINE | No. 103 – AUTUMN 2023
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