The Rise of Digital Ghosts: Comfort or Cruelty?
The digital realm is blurring the lines between life and death, with AI-powered "deathbots" offering interactive avatars of deceased loved ones. This burgeoning technology, fuelled by accessible AI models, is sparking both fascination and profound ethical concerns about its impact on grief and memory.
A New Era of Mourning
Recent events have highlighted the growing prevalence of digital resurrection. From AI-generated images of deceased musicians like Ozzy Osbourne and Tina Turner appearing at concerts, to a former CNN correspondent interviewing a digital recreation of a high school shooting victim, the technology is making its presence felt. Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, shared a poignant AI-generated animation of his late mother hugging him, a testament to the emotional power these digital creations can hold.
Growing Demand: A 2023 poll indicated that 14% of Britons would find comfort in interacting with a digital version of a deceased loved one, with younger individuals more open to the idea.
Technological Advancements: The widespread availability and ease of use of large language models like ChatGPT have made creating realistic and recognisable digital avatars more feasible than ever.
Historical Precedent: The desire to maintain connections with the deceased is not new, with people historically preserving personal items, re-reading letters, and even seeking spiritualist contact.
Ethical Quandaries and Emotional Impact
While "deathbots" can offer a sense of continued connection, experts warn of potential pitfalls. Cyberpsychologist Elaine Kasket notes that these bots can feel "plausible and realistic," but philosopher Michael Cholbi cautions that they might present "sanitised, rosy" versions of individuals, omitting less appealing traits. This curated reality could hinder the natural grieving process.
Nathan Mladin, author of "AI and the Afterlife," raises concerns about dependency, stating that "digital necromancy is a deceptive experience." He argues that relying on bots can prevent individuals from accepting loss and healing properly.
Exploitation and Privacy Concerns
The commercialisation of grief is a significant worry. In China, creating digital avatars can be inexpensive, but the market is booming, with more advanced, interactive avatars costing thousands. This raises questions about the exploitation of vulnerable individuals for profit, a concern echoed by the historical practices within the funeral industry.
Privacy rights are also paramount. Deceased individuals cannot consent to the use of their digital remains, nor can they control how their likeness is represented. The potential for fraudulent use of digital material for financial gain adds another layer of complexity.
The Future of Digital Immortality
While some see potential therapeutic applications, such as bringing out a deceased relative's avatar at family gatherings, there's scepticism about long-term reliance on this technology. Experts suggest that most people will eventually reconcile with the finality of death. The trend may reflect a modern desire for transcendence, with technology being sought as a solution to conquer mortality, a phenomenon described as "peak modernity."
Ultimately, while these digital creations can offer comfort to some, there's a risk of "pathologising grief" and making individuals psychologically brittle if they lose the ability to cope with loss naturally. Grief, experts emphasize, is a fundamental part of the human experience, not a problem for technology to solve.
