Dignity of posthumous data processing

Technological advances in extended reality and natural language processing allow us to simulate a deceased individual's presence using the data they leave behind. Deepfake technologies could be leveraged to create a somewhat realistic digital counterpart of the deceased. However, the use of data is ethically questionable from multiple perspectives. The deceased can no longer consent to their generated data processing, and the rights to the data are not inherited. The deceased may have a posthumous privacy interest, which can be understood in the context of human dignity. Human dignity is the absolute worth of each person that is rational, unconditional, and independent of all other facts about individuals. Unlike personal data, human dignity is considered to remain with the individual even after death. The concept of posthumous dignity is embedded in the return-of-remains practices and the belief that the remains of the deceased should be valued and respected. For example, in forensic science, the central feature of the victim identification process is to return the remains of the deceased to their families. In this way, as Cook suggests, the treatment of remains decides if posthumous dignity is protected. Likewise, the use of the data of a deceased person will determine whether their dignity is respected or violated. Join the session for a discussion on how we can preserve posthumous dignity. We'll explore the legal and ethical challenges of posthumous data processing and consider how archaeology principles of treating human remains can inform our approach. Let's start a conversation that could shape the future of the digital afterlife.