Ideas for using the latest technologies may be surprising. Deadbots (also known as griefbots or postmortem avatars) have appeared on the market, i.e. replicas of deceased people communicating with their loved ones in their native language and in their own voices. These are applications or computer programs based on data obtained from the Internet, which are intended to create the illusion of a deceased person and provide emotional support after the death of loved ones.

And although the goal seems right, scientists from the University of Cambridge draw attention to the number of threats associated with this technology. Based on the three analyzed scenarios (selling products using the image of the deceased, parent avatar for a child, purchasing a long-term deadbot subscription for loved ones), the main ones are: 

=> the possibility of manipulating and influencing people in mourning

=> using the image of people after death without their prior consent (need to regulate this aspect by obtaining consents to use, also regarding voice)

=> monetization of the experience of mourning and the desire to circumvent regulations for sales purposes by companies producing deadbots

=> unfavorable impact of technology on certain social groups, mainly children (indication of introducing an age limit for the use of this type of solutions)

According to Newseria, scientists do not completely reject this solution. They indicate the benefits:

=> public education, deadbot as an intergenerational exchange of stories and experiences (e.g. Holocaust survivors talk about their experiences)

=> source of income for families after the death of famous artists or journalists

Deadbots are another example indicating the need to implement legal regulations for services created based on AI. This would avoid infringements related to the use of their image and voice after their death.

What do you think about deadbots? Are you convinced by this type of services?

More here https://biznes.newseria.pl/news/deadboty-moga-byc,p262956223

Read more: Do deadbots have more threats or benefits?