Digital afterlife

19 October 2023, 09:42 AM

wtg

Digital afterlife

Been doing some estate planning and came across this article about the digital afterlife industry.

quote:
THE CREEPY NEW DIGITAL AFTERLIFE INDUSTRY

These companies could use your data to bring you back—without your consent

https://spectrum.ieee.org/digital-afterlife

19 October 2023, 08:09 PM

ShiroKuro

Wow.

Ugh.

19 October 2023, 10:43 PM

Axtremus

I saw a company at a consumer electronics show that touts a “digital afterlife” type technology/service: they train AI using recordings/writings/interviews left over by people who died (like some famous people, Holocaust survivors who were interviewed then died, etc.), and allow people (e.g., museum visitors) to “talk” to these AI models as the AI models try to respond like the deceased people would.

I told the sales rep. that that’s full of ethical problems, the sales rep. would have none of it.

20 October 2023, 06:37 PM

dolmansaxlil

quote:
Originally posted by Axtremus:
I saw a company at a consumer electronics show that touts a “digital afterlife” type technology/service: they train AI using recordings/writings/interviews left over by people who died (like some famous people, Holocaust survivors who were interviewed then died, etc.), and allow people (e.g., museum visitors) to “talk” to these AI models as the AI models try to respond like the deceased people would.

I told the sales rep. that that’s full of ethical problems, the sales rep. would have none of it.

This reminds me of the Mormon practise of baptizing people into the church after they have died, including victims of the Holocaust. (ETA: I find this idea disgusting…when I reread my post I wasn’t sure that was clear.)

While I love the idea of a person who has given consent in life being able to “speak” to later generations, there are so many ways that this could abused by people later on.

21 October 2023, 02:44 PM

wtg

quote:
Originally posted by dolmansaxlil:
[ I love the idea of a person who has given consent in life being able to “speak” to later generations

I haven't seen the exhibit, but there is something like that at the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie, which isn't that far from me.

https://www.ilholocaustmuseum....-stories-experience/

There was a segment on 60 Minutes about it. Transcript only. Unless you have a subscription to Paramount+, where you can see the video.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/h...-minutes-2020-04-05/