AI (143)
Find narratives by ethical themes or by technologies.
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- 5 min
- Wired
- 2020
As means of preserving deceased loved ones digitally become more and more likely, it is critical to consider the implications of technologies which aim to replicate and capture the personality and traits of those who have passed. Not only might this change the natural process of grieving and healing, it may also have alarming consequences for the agency of the dead. For the corresponding Black Mirror episode discussed in the article, see the narratives “Martha and Ash Parts I and II.”
- Wired
- 2020
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- 5 min
- Wired
- 2020
The Ethics of Rebooting the Dead
As means of preserving deceased loved ones digitally become more and more likely, it is critical to consider the implications of technologies which aim to replicate and capture the personality and traits of those who have passed. Not only might this change the natural process of grieving and healing, it may also have alarming consequences for the agency of the dead. For the corresponding Black Mirror episode discussed in the article, see the narratives “Martha and Ash Parts I and II.”
Should anyone be allowed to use digital resurrection technologies if they feel it may better help them cope? With all the data points that exist for internet users in this day and age, is it easier to create versions of deceased people which are uncannily similar to their real identities? What would be missing from this abstraction? How is a person’s identity kept uniform or recognizable if they are digitally resurrected?
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- 30 min
- Lindenwood University
- 2023
Through analyses of contemporary media, including films, television, and digital art, the paper explores how society grapples with the boundaries between life and death in the digital age. It discusses the implications of using AI to preserve or revive aspects of human identity, considering both the potential benefits for memory and mourning and the risks of commodifying or misrepresenting the deceased.
- Lindenwood University
- 2023
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- 30 min
- Lindenwood University
- 2023
Life, Death, and AI: Exploring Digital Necromancy in Popular Culture
Through analyses of contemporary media, including films, television, and digital art, the paper explores how society grapples with the boundaries between life and death in the digital age. It discusses the implications of using AI to preserve or revive aspects of human identity, considering both the potential benefits for memory and mourning and the risks of commodifying or misrepresenting the deceased.
- Discuss the pet cemetery conundrum (the reanimated versions of pets, and later humans, that are wrong and uncanny).
- What are the ways that someone could shape the digital representation of a loved one that was inconsistent with the real person? Would this be an ethical action if it helped a grieving process?
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- 60 min
- Association for Computing Machinary
- 2023
A qualitative study was conducted with 10 participants who use griefbots to cope with loss after the death of a loved one. Interviews were about an hour long each, and the results are compiled in a readable table.
- Association for Computing Machinary
- 2023
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- 60 min
- Association for Computing Machinary
- 2023
The “Conversation” about Loss: Understanding How Chatbot Technology was Used in Supporting People in Grief.
A qualitative study was conducted with 10 participants who use griefbots to cope with loss after the death of a loved one. Interviews were about an hour long each, and the results are compiled in a readable table.
- What other questions could the researchers have asked the users?
- Do you think this service is something you might use? What information would you want in a griefbot about a loved one?
- What are the ways in which a bad actor could use this service in harmful ways?
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- 35 min
- Submitted to AIES '25
Critically examines emerging technologies that enable digital immortality—the preservation and simulated interaction with the dead through AI-generated chatbots, deepfakes, or virtual avatars using personal data. The paper argues that these technologies represent a form of techno-solutionism, providing artificial remedies for the complex human experience of grief. The authors warn that digital immortality platforms—marketed by startups like HereAfter AI, Eter9, and others—pose psychological, ethical, legal, and environmental risks, especially to vulnerable grieving individuals.
- Submitted to AIES '25
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- 35 min
- Submitted to AIES '25
Wanted Dead or Alive
Critically examines emerging technologies that enable digital immortality—the preservation and simulated interaction with the dead through AI-generated chatbots, deepfakes, or virtual avatars using personal data. The paper argues that these technologies represent a form of techno-solutionism, providing artificial remedies for the complex human experience of grief. The authors warn that digital immortality platforms—marketed by startups like HereAfter AI, Eter9, and others—pose psychological, ethical, legal, and environmental risks, especially to vulnerable grieving individuals.
- What is digital immortality, and how does it differ from other concepts like transhumanism or consciousness uploading?
- Why do the authors argue that digital immortality platforms are a form of social media? Do you agree with this classification?
- How does the paper define and critique “techno-solutionism”?
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- 90 min
- Minds and Machines
- 2017
Öhman and Floridi introduce the concept of the Digital Afterlife Industry (DAI), encompassing businesses and platforms that manage, monetize, or manipulate the digital remains of deceased individuals. This includes services like memorial pages, AI-generated avatars, and posthumous social media management.
The authors argue that the DAI operates within a framework of informational capitalism, where personal data, even after death, is commodified. They highlight ethical concerns about how these practices can infringe upon human dignity, especially when the deceased’s digital presence is altered or used without consent.
To address these issues, the paper suggests that ethical guidelines governing the treatment of physical human remains could serve as a model for regulating digital remains, ensuring respect and dignity for the deceased in the digital realm.
- Minds and Machines
- 2017
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- 90 min
- Minds and Machines
- 2017
The Political Economy of Death in the Age of Information: A Critical Approach to the Digital Afterlife Industry
Öhman and Floridi introduce the concept of the Digital Afterlife Industry (DAI), encompassing businesses and platforms that manage, monetize, or manipulate the digital remains of deceased individuals. This includes services like memorial pages, AI-generated avatars, and posthumous social media management.
The authors argue that the DAI operates within a framework of informational capitalism, where personal data, even after death, is commodified. They highlight ethical concerns about how these practices can infringe upon human dignity, especially when the deceased’s digital presence is altered or used without consent.
To address these issues, the paper suggests that ethical guidelines governing the treatment of physical human remains could serve as a model for regulating digital remains, ensuring respect and dignity for the deceased in the digital realm.
- Discussion about monetization after death. (Kafka)
- What responsibilities do tech companies have in preserving or deleting digital content after a user’s death?
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- 10 min
- Computers in Human Behavior
- 2021
The authors propose cyberthanatology as a framework to understand how digital technologies mediate experiences of death and mourning. They argue that online platforms have transformed traditional practices by enabling new forms of memorialization, such as virtual cemeteries and online grief communities. The paper emphasizes that these digital practices are not merely extensions of physical rituals but constitute new cultural forms that influence how societies perceive and cope with death.
- Computers in Human Behavior
- 2021
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- 10 min
- Computers in Human Behavior
- 2021
Cyberthanathology: Death and beyond in the digital age.
The authors propose cyberthanatology as a framework to understand how digital technologies mediate experiences of death and mourning. They argue that online platforms have transformed traditional practices by enabling new forms of memorialization, such as virtual cemeteries and online grief communities. The paper emphasizes that these digital practices are not merely extensions of physical rituals but constitute new cultural forms that influence how societies perceive and cope with death.
- What is cyberthanatology, and how does it differ from traditional thanatology?
- How can regulations address the challenges posed by digital inequality in memorialization practices?