Meta patents AI that takes over a dead person’s account to keep posting and chatting - Dexerto
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Meta has been granted a patent outlining an AI system capable of simulating a user’s activity on social media to post after their death.

Meta received a patent in late December 2025 for AI technology that could simulate a deceased person’s social media activity by analyzing their historical data and behavior patterns[1]. The system would use large language models to replicate posts, comments, likes, and even video calls in a way that mirrors the original account holder[1:1].

The patent, authored by Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth, describes using “user-specific” data to maintain account activity when someone is either temporarily absent or deceased[2]. However, Meta has stated they have “no plans to move forward with this example”[2:1].

The concept has sparked ethical debates among experts. Joseph Davis, a sociology professor at the University of Virginia, expressed concerns about its impact on grief processing, stating “Let the dead be dead… One of the tasks of grief is to face the actual loss”[2:2].

This isn’t Meta’s first exploration of digital legacy. Mark Zuckerberg discussed similar concepts in 2023, suggesting there “may be ways” for AI to help people interact with memories of loved ones, while emphasizing that such systems should require user consent[1:2].

  1. Meta patents AI that takes over a dead person’s account to keep posting and chatting - Dexerto ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  2. Death isn’t the end: Meta patented an AI that lets you keep posting from beyond the grave - Business Insider ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  • LemmyLegume@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    3 hours ago

    It seems like every day now that I have to break out the “man-made horrors beyond comprehension” line.

  • happytortoise@lemmy.zip
    2·
    3 hours ago

    According to the patent, the model “may be used for simulating the user when the user is absent from the social networking system,” including cases where the person is on a long break or deceased.

    So essentially if you decide to stop using Facebook or Instagram, this AI could pretend to be you in your place and make actions via your account. Gee, can’t see how that could possibly be abused.

  • Zerush@lemmy.mlOP
    1·
    4 hours ago

    To freak out your family and friends, there isn’t needed AI, there are services and also some mails which permits to send mails in a date in the future, maybe after your dead. I’m old and maybe it would be my last joke one day “Nice here, I’ll waiting for you soon”

  • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    6·
    10 hours ago

    It’s crazy that a whole chain of people were like “yeah that’s a good idea” and then some engineers were like “sure I guess we can implement that”

  • hansolo@lemmy.today
    7·
    11 hours ago

    Instead of the Doomsday clock showing proximity to midnight, we need a scale that shows how close we are to Black Mirror scifi dystopia.