“Creepy” AI tool now uses dead teachers to review your work

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I just heard something really strange about Grammarly! Apparently, they’re now using AI that pretends to be professors and other experts to give feedback on your writing. And get this – some of those ‘experts’ are even people who’ve passed away! It’s a little creepy, honestly, but also kind of fascinating.

Artificial intelligence is now common in everyday life, helping people with work, managing household chores like keeping track of groceries, and handling many simple tasks.

If you write often – whether for work or school – you’ve likely used Grammarly. This AI-powered tool helps catch spelling errors and points out awkward or overly complex sentences.

However, Futurism reports that some users have discovered a feature allowing them to get AI-powered feedback on manuscripts, drawing on the knowledge of deceased professors and academics.

Grammarly’s AI uses dead academics to check manuscripts

The report indicates that Verena Krebs, a German university professor, first identified the issue with the feature on March 1st.

Krebs, who writes mainly in English as a non-native speaker, shared on Bluesky that she used to rely on Grammarly to check things like prepositions and sentence length. Now, she was surprised to find that Grammarly offered to have her work reviewed by experts, including David Abulafia, a historian who passed away in January – and who had actually reviewed her first book. She found this feature quite unsettling.

Other experts have described the finding as disturbing and unsettling, with some calling it “obscene” and “creepy.” Many expressed strong disapproval online, using words like “horrendous” and “outrageous.”

This isn’t the first instance of AI using data from deceased individuals. Meta, for example, has patented technology that would allow an AI to manage a deceased person’s online account, enabling users to interact with it as if the person were still living. This idea has also received significant criticism online.

Artificial intelligence is raising concerns in various areas, including the Church. Pope Leo XIV has cautioned priests against using AI to create sermons and has also emphasized the importance of human connection, warning against letting AI replace genuine relationships.

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2026-03-05 17:20