Emotional: Lost Their Loved Ones in War, Embraced One Last Time with AI

In recent days, the Facebook group "Smart Photoshop," which has over 300,000 members, has become a pilgrimage site. Bereaved families who lost their loved ones have turned to the group members, asking them to create videos that allow them to hug their son or daughter for the last time, using AI tools created from still images. They received the results in the past few days.

Tal Chacham, the group manager, described the new online phenomenon in an interview with Mako. "The group immediately responds, and if someone can’t help with editing, they send warm words, love, and solidarity," he said. According to him, it all started when family members wanted to recreate moments with their loved ones who fell. For example, the video Tal created for the mother of Dvir Zakai, may his memory be blessed, who fell in battle at Nahal Oz post. "Dvir’s mother misses him and just wanted another hug," Tal wrote in the Facebook group.

Among other requests that reached the group, there were such from family members who shared their pain and lost their loved ones in attacks and accidents. Natalia Casruti, whose son Keshet, may his memory be blessed, was murdered at the Nova party, asked to receive a final hug video from her son. "I so want to hug my Keshet," she wrote in the group, and received a moving video in return.

Tal explained how the process works: "Sometimes it’s two completely separate pictures. I use Photoshop before submitting the picture to the AI software, so the result is optimal," he added. Other parents who received the "final hug" include Hagit Golan-Gurman, whose brother was murdered and her daughter is celebrating her Bat Mitzvah. In the new video, her brother lifted her daughter and thus was integrated into the Bat Mitzvah video. Also, the mother of Tomer Sterosta, may his memory be blessed, requested and received such videos.

Shelly Meshel-Yogev, the mother of Libi Cohen-Maguri, may her memory be blessed, who was murdered in Nova, shared: "My name is Shelly and this is Libi, my daughter, who was murdered in the massacre. I understand there’s software that generates a hug from two pictures of people standing. I so want to hug my Libi again. Maybe someone here knows how to create us embracing, we are in bereavement, content even if it’s only pretend."

"It seems it’s a period when longing overwhelms and families want a small reinforcement," Chacham added. "I respond to these posts in tears. The thought that parents, siblings, partners gain strength from these videos, although it encourages slightly, but the realization of the gap in their lives, their need to hold onto another memory or even create a kind of new experience with their precious ones - it's crushing. This valuable group immediately mobilizes, and whoever can’t help with editing sends warm words, solidarity, and a lot, a lot of love."