{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Death and Law","title":"Digital Afterlife","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2780,"description":"Abstract In this episode, we explore the emerging world of technologies that allow individuals to continue existing in digital form even after death. From grief bots and posthumous avatars to AI-enabled holograms, we examine how people are preserving voices, memories, and personalities through the use of artificial intelligence. Typically, these digital personas are built from multimodal data, including voice recordings, videos, photos, written texts, and social media footprints, collected during a person’s lifetime. After death, this data is used to simulate responses, expressions, and even personality traits. The resulting avatars can appear eerily lifelike, engaging in conversations that feel authentic, even when discussing topics the deceased never directly addressed during their lifetime.Dr Leah Henrickson, Lecturer in Digital Media and Cultures at the University of Queensland, Dr Anna Puzio, Researcher at the University of Twente and UC Berkeley, and Dr Patricia Živković, Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Aberdeen, unpack pressing ethical, legal, and social questions raised in this rapidly evolving field. Whether viewed as comforting, uncanny, or controversial, these technologies are redefining our perspective on mortality and remembrance. Join us as we navigate the blurred lines between life, death, and the digital beyond.Death & Law - Interdisciplinary Explorations | School of Law | The University of Aberdeen  Biographies Dr Leah HenricksonDr Leah Henrickson is Lecturer in Digital Media and Cultures at the University of Queensland. She is the author of Reading Computer-Generated Texts, published by Cambridge University Press (2021), and other peer-reviewed articles on how we understand text generation systems and output, artificial intelligence, and digital media ecosystems. Dr Henrickson also studies digital storytelling for critical self-reflection, community building, and commercial benefit, and is the author of Digital Storytelling: An...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/HHerh05IkZJNlcuxv0kJMzwfkCDYJ69HSYa7C1zluaE/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8xNWIy/YjczYmFiMmZkYmRm/MTI4YjIxZmUxODdi/YTFjOS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}