Meta has been granted a patent for technology that describes using a large language model to simulate human behavior on the social network, including when a user has been offline for a long time or has died. The idea has already sparked discussions about digital legacy and the right to be forgotten.
Meta has been granted a patent for technology that describes using a large language model to simulate human behavior on the social network, including when a user has been offline for a long time or has died. The idea has already sparked discussions about digital legacy and the right to be forgotten.
This is stated in the material of Business Insider. The publication writes that the patent was issued in late December. The document describes a mechanism in which a language model learns from the history of posts, comments and reactions of the user and can respond to the content of other people on their behalf, create interactions such as likes and maintain the communication style, topics and habits of the account.
In the patent, Meta explains that when a person disappears from online life, it is felt by others, and in the event of death, the effect of the absence becomes permanent. At the same time, the company told the publication that obtaining the patent does not mean launching a product and there are currently no plans to bring such a feature to the market.
Experts quoted by Business Insider draw attention to the risks: AI activity on behalf of a deceased person can mislead others, as well as create legal issues regarding liability for possible harm, insults or false messages. Separately, the topic of a person’s right to disappear from digital space and who should control a virtual avatar after death is raised.
The idea of managing digital legacy already has practical applications, with social networks allowing you to designate an account successor or turn a page into a memorial. The Meta patent shows another scenario: not archiving a profile, but keeping it active with the help of AI.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how a Ukrainian engineer patented AI technology that allows leaving a digital trace after death. Rodion Sorokin’s invention, called AI Time Capsule, can preserve a person’s voice, communication style, and emotions, creating their digital avatar for future generations.
