Russian soldiers are being given a 'digital afterlife' as their families pay for AI pictures and videos of their loved ones who have been slain on the frontline in Ukraine. The bizarre practice is part of a new trend, with Russians spending up to £100 a go for dystopian videos and snaps as the invasion creates a new AI economy.
AI Creator Earnings
One AI-creator, Ulyana Lebed, has revealed she earns between £1,500 and £2,000 a month – double the average monthly wage in Russia – from this side hustle. The images show deceased servicemen smiling and waving at their loved ones, while some soldiers are depicted with a pair of dove wings like biblical angels.
Flaws in AI Creations
However, these AI mock-ups can result in the faces of both soldiers and family members being warped or distorted, as well as sporting missing lips or having extra fingers. AI has not only been used to depict fallen soldiers but also to generate an idyllic version of the frontline in an attempt to romanticise the horrific war.
Generative AI tools are difficult to access from Russia, creating demand for these AI mock-ups. The price can range anywhere between 200 roubles (£2) and 10,000 roubles (£100).
Expert Commentary
Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basińska, a researcher at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge, said this is part of a global 'digital afterlife' trend. She stated: 'Creating deadbots of Russian soldiers or deepfakes of fallen Russian soldiers returning from Ukraine is extremely complex and ethically difficult to assess in a clear-cut way.' The expert added: 'In a sense, we are all in the midst of a technological and cultural experiment.'
Personal Stories
Speaking to the BBC, one Russian woman revealed she had purchased AI pictures and videos of her deceased son and was using them to help ease the pain of her loss. She said: 'Could technology help me accept that I will never hug my son again? No. It's an illusion.'
Outrage in Ukraine
The AI images have sparked outrage on the other side of the Russian border. Ukrainians have blasted the pics as 'hero worship' for the men carrying out Vladimir Putin’s brutal invasion. One Ukrainian said: 'You should be ashamed to show your heroes who went to earn blood money by killing our children.'
