An ‘AI afterlife’ is now a real option – but what becomes of your legal status?

The article discusses the emerging trend of “digital twins” or “deathbots,” AI-generated voices or avatars that can simulate interaction with deceased individuals.
To create such a digital twin, one provides data including recorded stories, memories, and visual likeness, which is then used by an AI service to simulate a post-death interaction.
There are concerns about the delegation of control over personal data to companies and the unclear legal status of these digital creations, particularly under copyright law.
In Australia, there are no legal protections for a person’s identity or likeness as individual personality rights do not exist, although the data used to create the digital twin may be protected under copyright.
Ethical issues arise from the potential misrepresentation or distortion of the deceased’s personality by AI over time.
Legal and ethical questions surrounding the future use and control of the data remain largely unanswered, and the responsibility for any AI-generated distress remains unclear.
The law in this area lacks clear directives, leading to a need for more regulation in the emerging grief tech industry.
It’s important to thoroughly review terms and conditions before consenting to create a digital twin, as the contractual obligations may not fully account for future technological changes.