- Meta patented AI to simulate a user's digital presence after death or absence
- The AI uses historical data to mimic social media activity and respond autonomously
- It can like, comment, reply to messages, and simulate video and audio calls
The belief that death is not the end is central to Hindu and Buddhist philosophy. Now, in a modern technological parallel, Meta has secured a patent for an AI system designed to simulate a person's digital presence long after their passing. By training a large language model (LLM) on an individual's historical data, including posts, comments, and likes, Meta's proposed 'digital clone' could autonomously maintain a user's social media activity and voice.
According to a report in Business Insider, the tech giant was granted the patent in late December after the company's current CTO, Andrew Bosworth, who is also the primary author, filed it all the way back in 2023.
“The language model may be used for simulating the user when the user is absent from the social networking system, for example, when the user takes a long break or if the user is deceased,” the patent reads.
After the clone is traine don the data, it can respond to other people's content by liking and commenting in addition to responding to DMs. For influencers and creators who make their livelihoods on social media, the tech could allow them to take a break.
The patent also includes references to technology that would allow the AI model to simulate video and audio calls with the dead person.
Meta's Response
Quizzed about the future of the tech, a Meta spokesperson told the publication that the company files patents to disclose an idea, but it does not always translate to reality.
“We have no plans to move forward with this example,” the spokesperson added.
In a 2023 interview with podcaster Lex Fridman, Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg discussed the idea of virtual avatars for dead people.
"If someone has lost a loved one and is grieving, there may be ways in which being able to interact or relive certain memories could be helpful," Zuckerberg said at the time.
Currently, a Facebook feature called 'Legacy Contact' allows users to pick someone to look after their main profile after they have passed away. The chosen individual has the authority to make decisions about the user's main profile once it is memorialised.
