The emerging digital afterlife industry is raising concerns among researchers at Cambridge University, who are calling for safety protocols to prevent potential social and psychological harm. The industry is developing AI griefbots or deadbots that allow users to simulate conversations with their deceased loved ones, creating a postmortem presence for the bereaved.
These AI technologies have the potential to expose users to digital hauntings, with researchers identifying the need for safeguards to protect against psychological harm and potential abuse by malicious actors. The researchers have highlighted the risks of careless design in a high-risk field of AI, where chatbots could be used to spam surviving friends and family with unsolicited notifications and reminders, essentially stalking them from beyond the grave.
The researchers have outlined three design scenarios for these platforms, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing the dignity of the deceased and ensuring that users are aware they are interacting with AI. They have called for age restrictions for griefbots and meaningful transparency to protect the rights and consent of both data donors and users who interact with the simulations.
Coauthor of the study, Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basińska, emphasized the ethical minefield of this technology, stressing the importance of safeguarding the rights of both data donors and users. The researchers are urging digital afterlife services to prioritize the dignity of the deceased and ensure that financial motives do not encroach on ethical considerations. With the potential for emotional exhaustion and manipulation, it is crucial to establish clear guardrails to protect users from potential harm in the digital afterlife industry.