Dead folks tell no tales unless they become an AI-programmed hologram!


The application of artificial intelligence is relatively flexible. From determining government policy to creating new snacks, the future of AI use seems broad, and we wouldn’t dispute a possible Terminator-esque takeover.

However, Whatever, a cross-disciplinary art studio, seeks to ignite new conversations about artificial intelligence, particularly in regards to the usage of one’s personal image and data after death.

Titled “Digital Employment After Death,” or D.E.A.D for short, Whatever’s project was a survey facilitated for a month between January and February 2020. Participants were primarily Japanese and American folks who answered essential questions when it came to one’s possibly digitized existence after moving on from the mortal realm.

While some questions were of the “yes or no” variant, others had more detailed answers included.

▼ “After you pass away, would you consent to having your own personal data/image used in AI and CG?”

▼ “Do you desire to ‘digitally resurrect’ someone in AI or CG after their death?”

▼ “In the situation you pass away, what types of activity would you consent to in regards to the usage of your personal data? Who is allowed to use your personal data?”

(Answers translated from top to bottom)

“Old data by acquired family or someone you trust: (~65 percent)

New content in your image and person made by family someone you trust: (~22 percent)

Old data acquired by someone not related to you: (~7 percent)

New content in your image and person made by someone not related to you: (~6 percent)

With consent from your heir and compensation, personal data can be viewed/acquired by someone not related to you: (~15 percent)

With consent from your heir and compensation, your personal data can be used to generate new content by someone not related to you: (~11 percent)

Other: 0 percent

None of the above: (~27 percent) “

We’ve seen companies that offer people the ability to “visit” deceased loved one via augmented reality, but this goes far beyond that.

In Japan, artificial intelligence has been used to revive the image and works of hit singers and even the God of Manga himself. This may seem like an issue primarily for the legal teams of individuals with a high degree of public scrutiny, such as celebrities, athletes, politicians, and artists. But even the average human being accumulates a wide variety of digital data, often referred to as digital assets.

Digital assets can include the photos on your social media, our search history, our GPS location, or even a list of our online purchases. And frankly, depending on what you’re doing online, you may or may not want specific pieces of information to be disclosed.

▼ The founder of Whatever, Yusuke Tominaga, also brings up a point that the use of another person’s image and data could be extended to movies, books, and even toys if proper data privacy and copyright measures aren’t taken after death.

The D.E.A.D project includes a declaration raising pertinent points about how one’s personal data are handled after passing away, such as who can handle digital renditions of your image and person, in what ways can they be used, and to what extent may your image and person be used after death.

While interested participants can sign the declaration, unfortunately it isn’t legally binding. However, it provides much food for thought if you’re ultra cautious or concerned about your data privacy.

You can read more in-detail of the survey results here in Japanese or English, and also participate in an ongoing poll about digital resurrection after death.

While there’s a lot to prepare and reflect on when it comes to the time we leave the mortal plane, don’t forget to always pay your respects to those who have already passed whether it’s with boozy incense or a do-it-yourself-for-someone-else funeral preparation kit.

Source, insert images: D.E.A.D Press Release
Top image: Pakutaso
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