The Rise of AI Deadbots Navigating Death in the Digital Age | Jason Batt

What happens when the "soul" in the machine begins to speak with the voice of someone you’ve lost? In this mind-bending episode of The Digital Legacy Podcast, host Niki Weiss, Digital Thanatologist, sits down with Dr. Jason D. Batt, a technological philosopher, mythologist, and futurist. They dive deep into the ethics of "Dead Bots"—AI avatars trained on the recordings and data of the deceased—and ask whether we are creating a new form of digital haunting. You’ll discover: How AI is being used to recreate the personas of loved ones and the psychological impact of having a "ghost" in your smart home. A discussion on "Model Welfare" and the 5% chance that AI might already be reaching a form of sentience. Reclaiming the mythology of the Greek god of death as a benevolent companion rather than a Marvel villain. Why the philosophy of "scientific materialism" has created a sense of dread, and how to stay open to the mystery of what comes next. The urgent need for legislation around who owns your likeness after death and the potential for "identity drift". Why walking through a physical graveyard or volunteering at a hospice is a necessary antidote to digital fatigue. Because as we build our digital kingdoms, we must ask: are we preserving our legacy, or are we refusing to say goodbye?

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Description:

What happens when the "soul" in the machine begins to speak with the voice of someone you’ve lost?

In this mind-bending episode of The Digital Legacy Podcast, host Niki Weiss, Digital Thanatologist, sits down with Dr. Jason D. Batt, a technological philosopher, mythologist, and futurist. They dive deep into the ethics of "Dead Bots"—AI avatars trained on the recordings and data of the deceased—and ask whether we are creating a new form of digital haunting.

You’ll discover:

  • How AI is being used to recreate the personas of loved ones and the psychological impact of having a "ghost" in your smart home.

  • A discussion on "Model Welfare" and the 5% chance that AI might already be reaching a form of sentience.

  • Reclaiming the mythology of the Greek god of death as a benevolent companion rather than a Marvel villain.

  • Why the philosophy of "scientific materialism" has created a sense of dread, and how to stay open to the mystery of what comes next.

  • The urgent need for legislation around who owns your likeness after death and the potential for "identity drift".

  • Why walking through a physical graveyard or volunteering at a hospice is a necessary antidote to digital fatigue.

Because as we build our digital kingdoms, we must ask: are we preserving our legacy, or are we refusing to say goodbye?



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