An eerie 'digital afterlife' is no longer science fiction. So how do we navigate the risks?
What technologies are used in creating these digital personas?
Digital personas are created using various technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, virtual avatars, and holograms. These technologies analyze data from social media posts, emails, text messages, and voice recordings to generate interactive digital representations of deceased individuals. Generative AI plays a crucial role in enhancing the realism and interactivity of these digital personas.
What role does AI play in the digital afterlife industry?
AI plays a crucial role in the digital afterlife industry by creating highly realistic and interactive digital personas of deceased individuals, using their digital footprints12. This technology offers a blend of comfort and disruption, enabling deeply personal experiences that blur the lines between past and present, memory and reality. However, it also raises ethical and emotional challenges, including concerns about consent, privacy, and psychological impact on the living2.
How might digital afterlife technologies affect users' psychological well-being?
Digital afterlife technologies may offer comfort and connection to the deceased, but they also raise concerns about emotional and psychological distress4. Interacting with AI chatbots, virtual avatars, or holograms of deceased loved ones could blur the line between reality and simulation, potentially exacerbating grief or causing unwanted interactions. The psychological impact on users may vary, highlighting the need for careful development and regulation of these technologies.