Generative Ghosts: Anticipating Benefits and Risks of AI Afterlives (2402.01662v4)

Abstract: As AI systems quickly improve in both breadth and depth of performance, they lend themselves to creating increasingly powerful and realistic agents, including the possibility of agents modeled on specific people. We anticipate that within our lifetimes it may become common practice for people to create custom AI agents to interact with loved ones and/or the broader world after death; indeed, the past year has seen a boom in startups purporting to offer such services. We call these generative ghosts, since such agents will be capable of generating novel content rather than merely parroting content produced by their creator while living. In this paper, we reflect on the history of technologies for AI afterlives, including current early attempts by individual enthusiasts and startup companies to create generative ghosts. We then introduce a novel design space detailing potential implementations of generative ghosts, and use this analytic framework to ground discussion of the practical and ethical implications of various approaches to designing generative ghosts, including potential positive and negative impacts on individuals and society. Based on these considerations, we lay out a research agenda for the AI and HCI research communities to better understand the risk/benefit landscape of this novel technology so as to ultimately empower people who wish to create and interact with AI afterlives to do so in a beneficial manner.

• The paper proposes generative ghosts as dynamic AI entities that autonomously generate content using seven distinct design dimensions.
• It demonstrates potential benefits in legacy planning, emotional support, and cultural preservation through interactive digital afterlives.
• The paper warns of risks including delayed grief processing, privacy breaches, and security threats, urging multidisciplinary research for ethical frameworks.

Analysis of "Generative Ghosts: Anticipating Benefits and Risks of AI Afterlives"

The paper by Meredith Ringel Morris and Jed R. Brubaker explores the conceptualization of generative ghosts—AI systems designed to represent deceased individuals. This exploration is critical given the rapid development in the capabilities of generative AI models and their growing integration into various socio-cultural practices. Here, I provide an analysis of key elements discussed in the paper, focusing on the design dimensions, potential benefits and risks, and the implications for future research and practice.

Key Dimensions of Generative Ghosts

The authors propose that generative ghosts are distinct from static digital memorials as they can autonomously generate novel content and interactions based on a deceased person’s data. They identify seven dimensions that characterize the design space of generative ghosts:

1. Provenance: This refers to the origin of the ghost, distinguishing between first-party ghosts created by the individual themselves and third-party ghosts created posthumously by others.
2. Deployment Timeline: This differentiates ghosts that are created pre- or post-mortem, with the potential for some ghosts to function as generative clones while the individual is alive.
3. Anthropomorphism Paradigm: This addresses whether the ghost is perceived as a reincarnation of the deceased or merely a representation.
4. Multiplicity: This considers whether a single generative ghost exists for an individual or if multiple versions are created for different contexts.
5. Cutoff Date: This dimension concerns whether the ghost's data remains static or evolves with new information after the person's death.
6. Embodiment: This assesses whether ghosts have physical or purely virtual embodiments, with each form carrying different implications for interaction.
7. Representee Type: This includes the possibility of representing animals or other non-human entities, expanding beyond the traditional notion of human remembrance.

Potential Benefits

Generative ghosts, thoughtfully implemented, could provide significant benefits at individual, familial, and societal levels. For individuals, they offer a new dimension of legacy planning, allowing one's persona or values to persist posthumously. For the bereaved, such systems could offer emotional support and ongoing interaction that facilitates grief processing, providing both comfort and a digital presence at future life events. From a societal perspective, generative ghosts have the potential to preserve cultural heritage, allow interactive educational opportunities, and offer valuable insights for historical and anthropological research.

Potential Risks

Despite their promise, generative ghosts carry notable risks. Mental health concerns for the bereaved include delaying grief accommodation and fostering unhealthy attachments to the posthumous entity. They also risk introducing privacy and reputational threats, such as the inadvertent revelation of sensitive information or the propagation of incorrect content. Moreover, security risks, such as post-mortem identity theft or system hijacking, pose significant challenges. Societally, the widespread adoption of such technology could lead to unforeseen shifts in economic and social structures and even impact religious and cultural practices.

Implications and Future Research

The paper compellingly argues for a multidisciplinary approach to address these complex issues. Further research is crucial in examining user interactions with generative ghosts and the socio-cultural dynamics at play. Developing ethical frameworks and robust policies to govern the creation and deployment of these entities is imperative. This includes considering diverse cultural perspectives and the roles of regulatory bodies in overseeing such innovations.

As AI technologies continue to evolve, the concept of AI afterlives presents both an exciting and challenging frontier in human-computer interaction and digital legacy management. This paper provides a foundational framework for future scholarly inquiry and practical exploration into these emerging phenomena.