Life Beyond Death – The Future of Memory

Digital afterlives and digital immortality, a popular theme in science fiction, is no longer so fictional. Artificial intelligence and brain-computer interfaces allow us to create digital versions of ourselves or loved ones after death. Scraping social media or text messages can create a replica of someone, making memories a more interactive experience. Start-ups are now developing apps and websites to make communication beyond death profitable: the transcendance industry.
And in the next 30 years, 3 billion people will die – leaving their digital remains in the hands of very few powerful companies. Data storage being expensive, we are only beginning to imagine how these digital personas may be used. Research into the possibility of extracting thoughts directly from the brain and uploading one’s mind gives the saying “granny is living in the clouds” an entirely new meaning.

So what is the role of communication technologies in the construction and mediation of death and mortality? How does the transcendance industry shift our boundaries of reality and the virtual world, and our very concept of death?