AI Agents and the Art of Writing an Obituary for My Dog

When the day came that my loyal dog passed away, I found myself not only grieving but also wanting to commemorate his life in a meaningful way. Rather than penning the obituary myself, I recruited four AI agents—Grok, ChatGPT, Deep Seek, and Claude—to see how each would tackle the same prompt. The experiment revealed striking differences in tone, structure, and sentiment, even as they shared certain familiar expressions.

Grok’s Straightforward Tribute

Grok’s obituary began and ended with concise respect. It opened with a brief introduction—name, age, and breed—and then immediately highlighted the dog’s key qualities: loyalty, playful spirit, and gentle nature. Rather than weaving in personal anecdotes, Grok opted for succinct bullet points of achievements (favourite tricks, preferred toy, and several park visits). In fewer than 200 words, the writing felt dignified and to the point, delivering warmth without any embellishment.

• Tone and Style: Minimalistic, respectful, and fact-focused.

• Strengths: Clear structure, easy to skim, avoids emotional excess.

• Limitations: Lacked personal anecdotes that might resonate with readers on a deeper level.

ChatGPT’s Narrative Flair

In contrast, ChatGPT’s approach reads more like a short magazine feature. It opened with a scene-setting paragraph—“On a crisp autumn morning, Bentley chased falling leaves in the backyard for the last time”—and then segueed into a chronological retelling of the dog’s life. ChatGPT wove in at least three personal anecdotes: the day he learned to fetch, the time he comforted me after a tough workweek, and his fondness for sneaking under the dining table during dinner.

• Tone and Style: Storytelling, empathetic, conversational.

• Strengths: Engaging narrative, strong emotional resonance, vivid details.

• Limitations: Longer length (nearly 500 words) and reliance on sentimental phrases made it feel more like a eulogy than a straight obituary.

Deep Seek’s Analytical Homage

Deep Seek took an almost academic stance, presenting the dog’s life as a series of data points and categorical traits. The obituary began with a brief overview and then segmented into sections: “Behavioral Traits,” “Notable Achievements,” and “Impact on Household Dynamics.” Each section listed bullet points, such as “Behavioral Traits: affectionate, obedient, protective” and “Notable Achievements: completed basic obedience training at six months; recognized as ‘Best Trick Dog’ at local shelter event.”

• Tone and Style: Clinical, methodical, structured.

• Strengths: Extremely organized; useful if someone sought a quick, measurable summary.

• Limitations: The factual approach felt impersonal, sacrificing warmth and emotional texture for precision.

Claude’s Balanced Approach

Claude managed to strike a middle ground between narrative warmth and concise structure. The obituary began with a brief anecdote—“Bentley’s tail wagged so fiercely that he once knocked over an entire cup of coffee”—before moving into a short set of highlights (favourite activities, affectionate habits, gentle demeanour). It then concluded with a reflective paragraph summarizing his role as both companion and confidant. At roughly 300 words, Claude’s version felt heartfelt without being overwrought.

• Tone and Style: Balanced, moderately sentimental, and structured.

• Strengths: Combines personal touch with concise format, avoids both extremes of dryness and overindulgence.

• Limitations: Occasional cliché phrases (“best friend,” “unwavering loyalty”) made it feel partially formulaic.

Common Threads in AI Memorials

Across all four outputs, certain expressions appeared repeatedly: “best friend,” “unwavering loyalty,” and “cherished companion.” These recurring phrases suggest that, despite vast training data, AI models often lean on shared conventions when memorializing a pet. Interestingly, each agent acknowledged the owner’s grief, yet they varied markedly in how they conveyed it—some with detailed anecdotes, others with bullet points.

Repeated Phrases:

• “Unwavering loyalty” (found in three of four versions)

• “Cherished companion” (used by ChatGPT and Claude)

• “Boundless affection” (preferred by Grok and Claude)

Emotional Tone:

• Grok and Deep Seek remained largely objective.

• ChatGPT embraced emotional storytelling.

• Claude balanced empathy with a concise format.

A Reflection on Remembrance

This experiment underscored how important the choice of voice is when commemorating a life—especially the life of a pet. AI can articulate facts, anecdotes, and even empathy, but each model’s inherent style shapes the final tribute. Grok honoured Bentley with respectful brevity; Deep Seek catalogued him with analytical precision, ChatGPT wove a heartfelt narrative, and Claude blended sentiment and structure.

In the end, none of the AIs could fully capture the unique bond I shared with my dog, but each offered a lens through which to remember him. Whether you opt for a concise obituary, a narrative eulogy, or an analytical profile, the act of remembrance is ultimately a personal choice if you ever find yourself trying to memorialize a loved one—whether two-legged or four—a quartet of AI agents may help you discover the tone that resonates most.

Conclusion

AI-generated obituaries illustrate how technology can assist in moments of loss, yet they also highlight the irreplaceable nature of personal memory. Each agent brought its own “voice” to Bentley’s story, revealing that even in grief, there’s variety in how we choose to remember. Ultimately, the words we select—crafted by human hands or digital minds—serve the same purpose: to honour a life that matters.

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