SOFTWARE IN THE DEATHCARE INDUSTRY: Finding a Human-Centric Role for AI and Automation

Inevitably, automation and generative AI are finding their way into all businesses–including funeral homes. The  key is knowing where these tools help free up time for crucial human connection, and where they interfere with a  funeral director’s role. 

Does it feel like every time you turn around, you hear or see something new about the actual or potential impact of generative AI? This topic seems to permeate all aspects of life–including business operations. For better or worse, we are now solidly in the AI era. In a survey earlier this year of large global companies, McKinsey & Company reported that 71% of respondents said their organizations use generative AI in at least one business function. 

The benefits and pitfalls of AI tools are a serious consideration for leaders in all industries, funeral directors and other deathcare professionals among them

Yet, given the change-resistant nature of the deathcare industry, it may still feel too early to be thinking about generative AI for funeral planning or funeral home business operations. After all, many funeral homes are just getting settled into practices like posting obituaries online or families completing arrangements with no face-to-face, in-person meetings. And, AI is notoriously prone to errors, making it risky to use for anything that could affect your rapport with families or your reputation.

Therefore, rather than focusing on the “hot topic” of generative AI, it may be more useful to consider the value of automated software tools more generally, whether those technically fall under the category of “AI”—or not. 

AUTOMATION AND AI FOR DEATHCARE BUSINESSES

It is important to remember that the funeral director’s primary role is to assist the family during an emotionally wrought time. This, of course, must be balanced against the more mundane aspects of business operations—which is where automated computer software tools can be especially useful. 

For example, automated accounting reports provide the back office with data needed to keep the business on track. This type of reporting is most powerful when it encompasses predictive analytics, so decisions can be made based on actual trends rather than guesswork.

 In some cases, the hype around generative AI can hide longstanding software features capable of the same functions now being touted as cutting-edge. For example, the ability to automatically write obituaries—using data connected with a particular funeral case—has been around since the early 1990s. Automatically generating obituaries, under the guidance of human interaction, is nothing new.  

There is a trend afoot where AI chatbots are employed to write obituaries, rather than having a human write them from scratch or building them using funeral case data. Certainly, a chatbot can efficiently write an obituary and circumnavigate the emotionally wrought aspects of this process. Sometimes, having this option available might be just what a family needs. Other times, an AI-generated obituary might interfere with the grieving process and therefore not effectively serve the family. Decisions about where, when, and how to use AI are nuanced and differ from one arrangement to another.

Wes Johnson, president and CEO of Continental Computers—and also a licensed funeral director—sees the use of AI and automation in deathcare through dual lenses. 

“Use automation and AI to strengthen your value as a human resource for grieving families,” he advises. “Don’t use it to replace yourself.” 

Personalization is another important aspect of funeral home operations where the need to provide tailored services intersects with the capabilities of generative AI. Chatbots can rapidly compose and summarize information, speeding up the process of creating personalized items that are meaningful for families. There is nothing wrong with using AI tools in this way–as long as the goal is building a human connection.

TRADITION MEETS CHANGE 

The drive to adopt AI comes amid other societal, economic, and technological developments that, in recent years, have pushed the change-resistant deathcare industry to adjust.

Those trends, according to AnythingResearch.com 2025 data, include an aging U.S. population, cultural shifts toward personalized and non-traditional funerals, increased cremation rates, regulatory changes, demand for online memorial services and online funerals, and industry consolidation. 

Let’s pull out one of those trends and examine its impact: cremation. The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) reports that the 2025 cremation rate in the U.S. is expected to be 63.5%, and is projected to reach 82.3% by 2045, driven by economics and cultural shifts around funeral practices. Given that the average cost of a funeral overall as of 2023 is $7,848 (NFDA), it’s easy to see why families would choose the less expensive cremation option—which can significantly lower the cost of a funeral. Yet, here’s the flipside: the funeral industry reported at its most recent annual NFDA convention that the average profit from a funeral was down by 37%, according to US Funeral Online.

Trends like these put pressure especially on the 75% of funeral homes that are family- or privately-owned (NFDA, 2025). Funeral directors tend to stick with practices handed down from one generation to the next, and are understandably slow to make changes.

Yet, of course, change inevitably comes. It must, since families seeking funeral services often have very specific expectations about how the experience is going to be. Sometimes those expectations are steeped in longstanding tradition, but increasingly, the middle-aged adult children who tend to make funeral arrangements for their parents are quite tech-savvy and expect to complete much or all of the funeral planning process remotely or online. 

How can funeral directors best meet these changes? Funeral home software—whether it incorporates many automation and AI tools, or focuses more on traditional database models—is increasingly essential. 

No matter how this technology is implemented, keep in mind a foundational aspect of deathcare that has not changed, and probably never will: for funeral directors, gaining and retaining the trust of their clients is of utmost importance, and this starts with human connection.

DESPITE CHANGES, HUMAN CONNECTION REMAINS CRUCIAL.

Today’s funeral home software makes it possible for families to complete the entire arrangement process without ever meeting with the funeral director in person. For some families, this touchless process is desirable and fits into a larger trend in society of increasing dependence on technology. For others, a tech-driven funeral planning process feels wrong and misaligned with expectations. 

“Funeral directors have to be a good judge of their audience,” Johnson stressed. “That means meeting families where they are, and providing whatever level of human connection is needed.”

Therefore, the question becomes, how can funeral directors use computer software wisely so they can retain their role as compassionate stewards of the funeral process, while not getting overly consumed with the mundane and time-consuming aspects of running a modern business? If this hard-to-answer question is on your mind a lot these days, know that you aren’t alone. Deathcare is transforming, and the best outcomes will emerge through individual reflection and discussions within the business community.

“There is an appropriate time for AI, and an inappropriate time,” Johnson concluded, adding: “Let us not forget our humanity.”

Sources

McKinsey & Company 71% of businesses use AI: “The state of AI: How organizations are rewriting to capture value.” March, 2025.

AnythingResearch.com trends affecting the deathcare industry: “2025 U.S. Industry Statistics & Market Forecast - Funeral Homes and Funeral Services.” October, 2025.

NFDA stats (cremation rate, projected cremation rate, cost of funerals, percentage of funeral homes privately or family-owned): NFDA.org > News > Media Center > Statistics, date not provided.

US Funeral Online, average profit from funerals: “The US Funeral Industry Today.” August 2025.