Victorian spiritualism capitalised on the desire to transcend death to create new ways of making money

Filed by Elara Myst

Death has never entirely stopped the living from trying to continue a conversation with their loved ones.Today, AI-powered deathbots and a growing range of “grief tech” bring to market several ways that consumers can recreate the voices of the deceased. They open new commercial opportunities and experiences alongside uncomfortable questions about whether grief should be profitable.Yet long before AI made it possible to simulate (and charge a premium for) a familiar voice, the spiritualist