When the Digital Continues After Death. Ethical Perspectives on Death Tech and the Digital Afterlife
Nothing seems as certain as death. However, what if life continues digitally after death? Companies and initiatives such as Amazon, Storyfile, Here After AI, Forever Identity and LifeNaut are dedicated to precisely this objective: using avatars, records, and other digital content of the deceased, th...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2023
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| In: |
Communicatio socialis
Year: 2023, Volume: 56, Issue: 3, Pages: 427-436 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Hereafter
/ Death
/ Digitalization
/ Artificial intelligence
/ Ethics
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| IxTheo Classification: | NBE Anthropology NCJ Ethics of science ZG Media studies; Digital media; Communication studies |
| Online Access: |
Presumably Free Access Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Nothing seems as certain as death. However, what if life continues digitally after death? Companies and initiatives such as Amazon, Storyfile, Here After AI, Forever Identity and LifeNaut are dedicated to precisely this objective: using avatars, records, and other digital content of the deceased, they strive to enable a digital continuation of life. The deceased live on digitally, and at times, these can even appear very much alive - perhaps too alive? This article explores the ethical implications of these technologies, commonly known as Death Tech. With the advancement of artificial intelligence, Death Tech will inevitably transform mourning practices, our perception of death, and how we cope with its reality in the coming years. In this article, it is demonstrated that Death Tech can contribute to individual grief support, education, and a vibrant culture of remembrance. However, it is crucial to recognise that the Digital Afterlife is not a paradise but necessitates active designing and ethical deliberation. |
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| ISSN: | 2198-3852 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Communicatio socialis
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.5771/0010-3497-2023-3-427 |