Meta wins patent for AI that could post for dead social media users

Meta has patented a hypothetical LLM that would continue posting for (and as) you, long after you're dead.

Granted in late December, the patent outlines an AI that would "simulate" a person's social media activity when they've been away from the platform for an extended period of time, including after they've died, according to an exclusive from Business Insider. It was first filed in 2023 by Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth.

A Meta spokesperson told the publication that they no longer have plans to move forward with the LLM concept.

Still, the patent for this type of AI-trained digital clone is now Meta's. In the original filing, the tech giant said it was designed to assist people who have strong social media presences, such as influencers who want to take a break from posting. Such a clone could comment, like, and even simulate video or audio calls with your followers on Meta accounts, in theory. "The impact on the users is much more severe and permanent if that user is deceased and can never return to the social networking platform," the filing reads.

Microsoft patented a similar chatbot model in 2021. The company later scrapped the idea, with leadership saying it was "disturbing." Instead, startups have proliferated in the new AI-powered afterlife industry, including deadbot generators like Replika AI and 2wai.

AI "deadbots," or LLM-powered chatbots that mimic deceased people, have been scrutinized by legal professionals, creatives, and grief experts alike, who question the ethical and social ramifications of popularizing digital versions of deceased individuals.

Celebrities, like Matthew McConaughey, have taken steps to protect their digital likenesses after they die, including trademarking their appearances and voices. And it's not just celebs at risk of AI's misuse, with experts in estate and end-of-life planning urging the general public to set clear parameters for AI in the event of their death, too.