Digital Immortality: Meta Patents Algorithms Imitating Activity of Deceased Users

The Meta conglomerate, owner of the Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp platforms, has registered a patent describing the use of large language models (LLM) to maintain activity on inactive accounts. The mechanism is to be based on 'user-specific data,' including their historical likes, comments, and even communication styles in private messages. The project's goal is to create a digital clone that, after the original person's death, would be able to predict that person's reactions to new content appearing online and respond accordingly. This technology, referred to as digital immortality, could even simulate voice and video calls. The concept of 'grief tech' has gained significance in the last decade with the development of startups offering chatbots that imitate deceased loved ones; however, this has never before been implemented on a mass scale by global tech giants. Implementing such solutions raises fundamental questions about privacy boundaries. Experts point out that training algorithms on data from individuals who can no longer withdraw their consent is ethically questionable. Meta argues, however, that the sudden disappearance of an active profile negatively impacts the engagement of remaining community members, and automating posts could mitigate the sense of loss. The patent documentation indicates that the model could be activated not only upon death but also during a user's prolonged absence, for example, during a vacation. The project has drawn a wave of criticism from human rights defenders, who warn against the commercialization of grief. „The impact on remaining users is much stronger and more lasting if a given user has died, which justifies the need to simulate their continued presence.” — Meta representative in the patent document Market analysts indicate that although the patent has been granted, its implementation in the European Union may face serious legal barriers stemming from GDPR regulations and the upcoming AI Act. It is currently unknown whether this solution will become a standard feature of social media services or will remain merely an intellectual property safeguard for the corporation. Nevertheless, the very fact that Mark Zuckerberg's company has applied for such technology shows the direction in which the tech industry is heading in its search for new forms of interaction and retaining user attention at all costs. 2023 — the year Meta filed the initial patent application Liberal media focus on technological progress and new possibilities for digital legacy preservation, emphasizing voluntary choice. | Conservative media emphasize the violation of the sanctity of death, the dehumanization of relationships, and the dangers associated with technocratic control over the soul.