Earlier this month, academics and entrepreneurs in the death tech industry gathered to explore these ethical issues at the 2021 Digital Legacy Conference. Panelists referenced Netflix ‘s Black Mirror and digital immortality services that purportedly transfer consciousness into robots that look and sound like somebody’s loved one. “There’s a technology that does this; it’s feasible,” said Carla Sofka, a professor of social work at Siena College who studies how technology addresses death, dying, and grief. She acknowledged many of these services veered into uncanny valley territory. “Do you have permission to keep somebody around after they die?” she said. “Who owns the rights to your afterlife?”

Stone, Z. (2021, November 1). Digital end-of-life services are a booming business — not everybody says that’s a good thing. Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/digital-end-of-life-care-companies-funeral-startups-business-booming-2021-10