Logging off life but living on: How AI is redefining death, memory and immortality

Ethical and legal issues around death in the digital age are thorny enough dealing with social media accounts. AI puts the notion of a digital afterlife into overdrive.

By: Patrick van Esch, Coastal Carolina University and Yuanyuan (Gina) Cui, Coastal Carolina University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 1, 2026

Words: 1,283

Last Updated: 1 month, 2 weeks ago

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By Patrick van Esch, Coastal Carolina University and Yuanyuan (Gina) Cui, Coastal Carolina University

Imagine attending a funeral where the person who has died speaks directly to you, answering your questions and sharing memories. This happened at the funeral of Marina Smith, a Holocaust educator who died in 2022.

Thanks to an AI technology company called StoryFile, Smith seemed to interact naturally with her family and friends.

The system used prerecorded answers …

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