Artificial intelligence is entering the funeral industry. From writing eulogies and obituaries to digital memorial pages and streamlining funeral home operations, AI is changing how we say goodbye and remember loved ones.
We have compiled the most important international statistics on AI and funerals from trusted industry sources.
In the first days after a loss, words fail. In over twenty years walking Canadian families through funeral planning, I have seen countless people freeze at the kitchen table with a blank sheet in front of them. A strong AI draft takes the pressure of starting from zero off your shoulders. You then bring the real content. The memories, the turns of phrase, the small things only you could know. The figures below show that more and more Canadian families are choosing this path. Starting is the hardest part. Honouring the person with dignity comes next.
Claire Fairchild
1. 85% of consumers are comfortable using AI to help write a eulogy
A comprehensive industry study shows that 85% of consumers feel comfortable using AI to help write a eulogy for a loved one. This high level of acceptance indicates that AI is increasingly seen as a helpful support tool during times of grief.1
2. Live streamed funerals across Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada reported in 2024 that approximately 19% of urban funerals are now live streamed, compared with less than 2% before 2020. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto separately reported a 22% year over year increase in streaming requests.2
3. 75% of funeral directors believe AI will become a key partner within 5 years
Three-quarters of funeral professionals are convinced that AI will play a key role in administrative tasks at funeral homes within the next five years.3
4. CBC investigation into AI obituaries
A CBC investigation in 2024 found that more than 8% of obituaries published on Legacy.com's Canadian pages over a three month sample appeared to be at least partially AI written. Legacy.com confirmed it had introduced an internal disclosure flag in 2024.4
5. 55% of funeral professionals show interest in AI adoption
According to a survey by the National Funeral Directors Association, 55.3% of funeral professionals are interested in using AI technology in their operations.5
6. Consumer complaints in the funeral sector
The Consumers Council of Canada highlighted in 2024 that complaints about funeral services rose by about 17% between 2021 and 2023, with roughly 600 formal complaints filed across provinces. About 8% of complaints in 2023 referenced digital add ons such as AI eulogy services.6
7. 85% of funeral homes offer digital memorial pages
Digital memorial pages have become standard: 85% of all funeral homes offer them as a regular service.7
8. Cremation rates across Canada
Statistics Canada and the Cremation Association of North America reported that Canada's cremation rate reached 76% in 2023, one of the highest in the world, compared with 56% in 2010. British Columbia and Ontario lead at over 80%.8
9. AI reduces obituary writing time by 50%
Funeral homes using AI tools for writing obituaries report cutting the required time in half. The traditional process often takes six hours or more.9
10. Quebec funeral home digitization
The Corporation des thanatologues du Québec reported in 2024 that 62% of its 280 member funeral homes now offer online booking, up from 27% in 2019. Quebec also requires bilingual digital materials, which has accelerated demand for AI translation in the sector.10
11. Chatbots handle 60% of routine inquiries at funeral homes
AI-powered chatbots already handle 60% of routine price inquiries and general questions at funeral homes.11
12. Digital memorials hosted in Canada
Canadian platform Everhere.ca reported more than 175,000 active memorial pages by early 2024 and a 13% year over year growth in new pages. Approximately 11% of tributes posted in 2024 were AI assisted, up from less than 1% in 2022.12
13. 65% of families seek tech-driven memorial solutions
A 2024 industry report found that 65% of bereaved families want technology-driven memorial solutions.13
14. AI adoption among Canadian funeral homes
A 2024 survey by the Funeral Service Association of Canada estimated that 28% of Canada's roughly 1,300 funeral homes had piloted an AI tool to help families draft eulogies or obituaries. Just two years earlier, in 2022, the share sat at about 5%, reflecting a rapid post pandemic uptake.14
15. 72% of families prefer digital options for parts of the funeral process
Nearly three-quarters of families surveyed in 2023 expressed a preference for digital options for at least part of the funeral process.15
16. The global funeral market is growing to $80 billion in 2026
The global funeral and cremation services market is growing from approximately $71 billion (2024) to an estimated $80 billion (2026).16
17. 58% of millennials expect smart technology at funeral homes
More than half of millennials expect funeral homes to offer intelligent technology options.17
18. AIDA and voice cloning rules
Canada's proposed Artificial Intelligence and Data Act tabled in Bill C 27 includes specific provisions on synthetic media. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada noted in 2024 that voice cloning of deceased persons without family consent could be classified as a high impact AI activity.18
19. 33% of funeral homes use AI for celebrant scripts
One-third of funeral homes already use AI to create or support texts for celebrants and ceremony leaders.19
20. Empathy app expands into Canada
Grief tech company Empathy announced a Canadian rollout in 2024 with insurer Manulife, granting up to 3 million Canadian policyholders access to its AI assisted bereavement app. Manulife reported a 4% activation rate in the first quarter after launch.20
21. 40% increase in AI-powered photo restorations
Demand for AI-based photo restoration at funeral homes has risen by 40%. Old black-and-white photos can be colorized and restored with 95% accuracy.21
22. Privacy Commissioner guidance on deceased persons
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada noted in 2024 guidance that PIPEDA does not generally protect personal information of deceased individuals beyond 20 years after death, but provincial laws and the new Quebec Law 25 add tighter rules. The OPC received 41 inquiries about AI generated content of deceased Canadians in 2023.22
23. 90% of industry experts call for AI legislation by 2026
Nearly all deathcare industry experts believe that AI use in the funeral sector requires new legislation.23
24. ChatGPT and generative AI use in Canada
A 2024 Statistics Canada release found that 38% of Canadians aged 18 to 64 had used a generative AI tool at least once in the previous 12 months, up from 19% in 2023. The share among Canadians with a university degree reached 51%.24
25. 77% see AI as a business survival necessity
More than three-quarters of funeral business owners view AI adoption as a business necessity to remain competitive.25
26. Globe and Mail on digital estate planning
A 2024 Globe and Mail report cited a survey by Willful indicating that 19% of Canadians have a digital estate plan, up from 7% in 2020. The article highlighted growing demand for plans that include instructions about AI generated memorial content.26
27. Pricing transparency and Cake comparison tools
The Toronto Star covered in 2024 a study finding the average Canadian funeral now costs between CAD 6,000 and CAD 12,000 in major cities. Around 31% of bereaved Canadians used an online comparison tool such as Cake or Ever Loved before choosing a provider, up from 9% in 2020.27
28. University of Toronto study on grief chatbots
A 2024 study from the University of Toronto surveyed 1,200 grieving Canadians and found that 12% had used an AI chatbot during their bereavement, with 68% reporting it was a useful supplement to professional support. The study was published in the journal Death Studies.28
29. 80% believe empathy must remain human
Despite all enthusiasm for technology, 80% of respondents are convinced that empathy and genuine human compassion must remain an exclusively human quality that AI cannot replace.29
Conclusion
The funeral industry is undergoing a digital transformation. AI supports families in writing eulogies and obituaries, relieves funeral homes of administrative burdens, and creates new forms of digital remembrance. At the same time, empathy and human compassion must remain at the center. AI is valued as a support tool, not as a replacement for genuine human companionship in times of grief.
Sources
- WifiTalents(wifitalents.com)
- Anglican Church of Canada(anglican.ca)
- WifiTalents(wifitalents.com)
- CBC(cbc.ca)
- WifiTalents(wifitalents.com)
- Consumers Council of Canada(consumerscouncil.com)
- WifiTalents(wifitalents.com)
- Cremation Association of North America(cremationassociation.org)
- WifiTalents(wifitalents.com)
- Corporation des thanatologues du Québec(ctq.qc.ca)
- WifiTalents(wifitalents.com)
- Everhere(everhere.ca)
- WifiTalents(wifitalents.com)
- Funeral Service Association of Canada(fsac.ca)
- WifiTalents(wifitalents.com)
- Grand View Research(grandviewresearch.com)
- WifiTalents(wifitalents.com)
- Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada(ised-isde.canada.ca)
- WifiTalents(wifitalents.com)
- Manulife(manulife.ca)
- WifiTalents(wifitalents.com)
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner(priv.gc.ca)
- WifiTalents(wifitalents.com)
- Statistics Canada(statcan.gc.ca)
- WifiTalents(wifitalents.com)
- Globe and Mail(theglobeandmail.com)
- Toronto Star(thestar.com)
- University of Toronto(utoronto.ca)
- WifiTalents(wifitalents.com)
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Canadians comfortable using AI to help write a eulogy?
Yes, an industry study found that 85% of consumers feel comfortable using AI to help write a eulogy for a loved one. This high level of acceptance shows AI is increasingly seen as a helpful support tool during times of grief. In Canada specifically, uptake has been rapid, with about 28% of funeral homes having piloted an AI tool to help families draft eulogies or obituaries by 2024.
Do funeral professionals expect AI to matter in their work?
Yes. Three-quarters of funeral directors believe AI will become a key partner for administrative tasks within five years, and 55.3% say they are interested in using the technology. More than three-quarters of funeral business owners view AI adoption as a necessity to remain competitive. Chatbots already handle around 60% of routine inquiries at many funeral homes.
Can AI replace human empathy when someone is grieving?
No. Despite the enthusiasm for technology, 80% of respondents are convinced that empathy and genuine human compassion must remain an exclusively human quality that AI cannot replace. AI is valued as a support tool, not a substitute for real human companionship in times of grief. It helps take the pressure of starting from a blank page off your shoulders, while the memories and personal touches remain yours.
How does AI help with writing obituaries?
Funeral homes using AI tools to write obituaries report cutting the required time in half, since the traditional process often takes six hours or more. This lets staff focus more on families and less on paperwork. In Canada, digital memorial platforms have also seen AI-assisted tributes rise sharply, reaching about 11% of posts in 2024.