Mark Zuckerberg built an AI version of himself that attends meetings and approves budgets while he's elsewhere. That's not science fiction — it's happening now. But when an AI replica makes a consequential decision, who's legally responsible? Who owns it when you die?
Dr. Candi Cann, Thanatologist and professor at Baylor University, joins SecureTalk host Justin Beals to explore the uncomfortable intersection of technology, mortality, and identity — and what it means for data governance, digital rights, and the future of enterprise accountability.
In this episode:
Key topics: digital identity, AI accountability, data governance, CMMC compliance, death technology, digital ethics, AI agents, enterprise security
If your organization is deploying AI agents that act on behalf of humans — approving transactions, attending meetings, representing employees — this episode raises the governance questions your security and legal teams need to be asking right now.
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Resources:
Book: Augmented: Life and Death as a Cyborg by Candy Cann, MIT Press, 2026. Link: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262051118/augmented/
What is Secure Talk Podcast?
Secure Talk reviews the latest threats, tips, and trends on security, innovation, and compliance.
Host Justin Beals interviews leading privacy, security and technology executives to discuss best practices related to IT security, data protection and compliance. Based in Seattle, he previously served as the CTO of NextStep and Koru, which won the 2018 Most Impactful Startup award from Wharton People Analytics. He is the creator of the patented Training, Tracking & Placement System and the author of “Aligning curriculum and evidencing learning effectiveness using semantic mapping of learning assets,” published in the International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJet). Justin earned a BA from Fort Lewis College.