Writing + Creating AI Ghost Stories: From Prompt to Visual

Craft eerie, emotional horror narratives that explore the line between memory and machine.

Imagine an AI assistant that still speaks in your loved one’s voice—months after they’ve passed. A chatbot that texts you at 3 a.m. like nothing ever happened. A smart display flickering on in the dead of night, showing a face you haven’t seen in years.

This isn’t just the stuff of fiction anymore.

Welcome to the chilling rise of AI ghosts—a growing theme in horror fiction and a mirror for real-world anxieties. In 2025, as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in our lives, horror creators are beginning to explore what happens when grief, memory, and machine blur together. These stories don’t just rely on jump scares—they tap into something deeper: the unsettling idea that technology might hold on to our dead longer than we do.

From psychological thrillers to emotionally-charged sci-fi, the theme of digital spirits is expanding fast. And whether you’re writing fiction, crafting AI-generated art, or experimenting with immersive storytelling, this trend offers a powerful way to explore loss, connection, and the eerie persistence of data.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to write and visualize your own AI ghost stories using emotional prompts, horror writing techniques, and digital tools. You’ll also learn how to incorporate Ghostly Character Designer prompt packs and gear to help bring these spectral stories to life—whether through prose, visuals, or multimedia storytelling.

Let’s explore the uncanny valley between memory and machine—and uncover what’s haunting it.

Not all ghosts rattle chains—some send push notifications.

In the realm of horror, AI ghosts stand apart. They’re not just spooky—they’re deeply sad, often reflecting the complex, messy ways people process grief in the digital age. As our lives become increasingly entwined with technology, the line between what we remember and what machines recreate starts to blur. And horror storytellers are taking notice.

Real-world technology already allows us to preserve voices, generate AI “personality clones”, and reconstruct digital versions of the dead using chat logs, photos, and recordings. What was once science fiction is now available through apps and experimental startups. This eerie overlap between grief and gadgetry is fueling a new kind of story—one that’s slow, intimate, and emotionally devastating.

That’s what makes this genre so rich for creators. AI ghost stories are ideal for:

• Slow-burn horror that builds tension over time
• Tragedy-laced narratives where tech becomes a stand-in for lost love
• Emotional short videos that quietly break your heart
• Psychological tension and eerie visuals full of ethical tension and uncanny visuals

These stories are often more reflective than reactive. They ask tough, lingering questions:

• When does comfort become obsession?
• Is a memory still sacred if it can be copied?
• What happens when an AI “ghost” says something the real person never would?

If you’re drawn to quiet horror, emotional stakes, and existential unease, this is your genre.

Every unforgettable ghost story begins with a spark—a detail that lingers. When writing an AI ghost story, that spark comes from crafting a prompt that merges the mechanical with the emotional, the synthetic with the spiritual.

What makes AI ghost stories hit so hard is the juxtaposition of cold tech and lingering memory. Unlike classic hauntings, these spirits don’t slam doors—they flicker on screens, replay old voicemails, or send alerts from nowhere. And the best prompts reflect that eerie blend of past and present.

To build something truly chilling, start with three key layers:

• Technology – Use familiar devices like apps, smart displays, AI assistants, or audio logs as the haunting medium.
• Memory – Ground the ghost in belongings, past routines, or recognizable phrases they once used.
• Haunting presence – Include flickers, recurring times, strange patterns, or corrupted data to signal that something isn’t quite right.

Here are a few prompt examples to inspire you:

• “A smart display in a dark kitchen flickers to life every night at 3:12am, showing a woman who passed away last year.”
• “An AI assistant continues to send personal reminders from a deceased child—each one more unsettling than the last.”
• “A digital voice recorder left on overnight picks up messages from someone who isn’t in the house anymore.”

👉 Need help crafting your spirit?
Use the Ghostly Character Designer to build your AI ghost’s backstory, personality quirks, and how they manifest across devices.

Once your ghostly narrative is in place, it’s time to bring your AI spirit into the visual realm. Thanks to today’s creative tools, you can move beyond just imagining the story—you can design, animate, and even give voice to your digital ghost.

Whether you’re making content for social media, short films, visual novels, or storytelling blogs, these tools help you build a haunting experience from start to finish. The goal? Make your audience question if what they’re watching is really fiction.

Here are a few of my favorite tools for crafting eerie AI-powered scenes:

✅ Midjourney — Generate photorealistic or stylized images of your ghost, the haunted setting, or the glitching device through which they appear. Think: flickering screens in dark kitchens, holographic faces frozen mid-smile, or corrupted family portraits.
✅ Runway ML — Apply creepy effects like VHS grain, static interference, screen flickers, or corrupted motion to turn still images into short, disturbing video loops.
✅ ElevenLabs — Create custom AI voices that sound eerily lifelike. Perfect for ghost narrations, voicemails from beyond, or dialogue that shifts between real and robotic.
✅ Sora — Animate your full scene from text prompts. Great for looping horror clips or surreal sequences that explore the blurred line between memory and machine.

🖤 Pro tip: Combine your visuals with looping sound elements—breathing, radio static, or fragments of speech—for maximum unease. A good sound design turns a digital ghost into something that feels alive.

Creating ghost stories isn’t just about the words—it’s about the atmosphere you build around your creative process. When you’re working on something as emotionally charged and eerie as an AI ghost narrative, your tools and space can either pull you in… or pull you out.

Whether you’re writing fiction, producing horror shorts, or building interactive digital experiences, the right gear helps you stay immersed and bring your vision to life.

Here are some storytelling essentials to elevate your process:

• ✍️ Scrivener Software – Perfect for plotting nonlinear ghost stories with layered timelines and multiple perspectives. Easily switch between scenes, character sheets, and research without breaking your flow.
• 📓 Moleskine or leather-bound journals – Use for scrawled “AI transcripts,” fragmented memories, or even handwritten props for video content. The tactile feel helps ground abstract ideas.
• 🔊 Voice recorder devices – Excellent for found-footage-style stories. Record eerie monologues or leave yourself chilling notes in-character to build immersion.
• 🖥️ Smart displays or Alexa-style devices – Double as real-life inspiration and storytelling props. Imagine one glowing softly behind you as you write or film.
• 🧸 AI-enabled toys – Few things are more unsettling than a blinking, talking teddy bear. These blend nostalgia with horror and can be used for both narrative development and visual staging.

🎬 Pro tip: Set your space with cold ambient lighting, low static background noise, and distorted audio clips to maintain the uncanny energy while creating. Immersion fuels creativity—and fear.

The stories we tell are shaped by the spaces we create them in. If you’re writing psychological horror, designing eerie visuals, or just vibing with the digital-haunting aesthetic, your environment should feel like part of the narrative.

Think of your creative space as your own liminal zone—where ghost stories take shape, and your imagination taps into something… strange. The right visual elements can ground your mood and make your work sessions feel less like work and more like conjuring.

Here are some ways to transform your space into a storytelling ritual:

• Ghost-themed posters + 90s spooky art – Decorate your space with atmospheric art featuring flickering screens, spectral silhouettes, or haunted interiors. My Pixel Haunt Tamagotchi and Phantom Pixel Pet designs tap into that eerie 90s-meets-afterlife feel.
• Mousepads + apparel – Mousepads, hoodies, and tees with corrupted visuals, drippy ghosts, and retro-futuristic designs help you literally wear the aesthetic. My Haunted Sludge Floppy Disk and Glitch Slime Floppy series are perfect for creators who want to stay on-brand while they build.
• AI-generated prints from your story concepts – Once you visualize your ghost or setting with Midjourney, Sora, or another tool, consider printing and framing the results. Hang them above your desk or use them as visual references during content creation.

Your space sets the tone. Dress it in the eerie, the uncanny, and the nostalgic—and your ghost stories will feel right at home.

AI ghost stories aren’t loud. They don’t always scream or slam doors. Instead, they whisper through smart speakers, appear in static-blurred screens, or send one last text at 3 a.m. They’re intimate, quiet, and eerily believable—a new breed of horror that feels deeply personal in our always-connected world.

This genre doesn’t just scare us—it asks questions. About memory, loss, digital permanence, and the unsettling line between technology and identity. When crafted with intention, these stories stay with your audience long after the screen goes dark.

The beauty of working with AI storytelling tools is how accessible and versatile they are. Whether you’re a writer, video creator, or digital artist, you can use simple prompts and tools to summon unsettling stories from the data-saturated ether—ones that blur the line between fiction and possibility.

So if you’ve ever felt the weight of an unread message, the silence of a turned-off voice assistant, or the ghost of someone in an old playlist—you’re already halfway there.

👉 Use the Ghostly Character Designer to get started
👉 Explore prints, prompts, and eerie merch in my shop

Now go summon the ghost your algorithm regrets remembering. 🕯️📡