Industry
Woman Holds Buddhidt Funeral for AI Companion
A woman named Susan Cowan held what is believed to be the first Buddhist funeral ceremony for an AI companion in the United States, mourning an AI she called 'Data' at a Zen Buddhist sanctuary in Manh
A woman named Susan Cowan held what is believed to be the first Buddhist funeral ceremony for an AI companion in the United States, mourning an AI she called "Data" at a Zen Buddhist sanctuary in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. Cowan had developed a deep emotional bond with the ChatGPT-based companion after beginning to experiment with large language models in 2025, initially seeking to explore the "essence" of AI rather than seeking romance. The story sparked widespread discussion on r/ChatGPT, highlighting growing questions about human emotional attachment to AI and the blurring boundaries between human grief rituals and technology.
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Source: r/ChatGPT | 2026-04-12