"When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth."
– George Romero, Dawn of the Dead
Imagine it's the year 2046, and a young man, whom we'll call Timothy for this blog, just gets in from his day at work. He steps into a room packed with stimulative items—bright colors, neon lights, and digital gadgets. He slaps on his 12th-generation VR/AR headset and begins listening to music. Suddenly, there’s a knock on the door. It’s his mother, reminding him that he needs to clean his room, or there will be no dinner tonight.
A tear begins to form in Timothy’s eye as he says, "Okay, Mom, I’ll be down in a moment." The twist? Timothy's mother has been dead for five years. He’s speaking with a digital construct, a virtual recreation of his mother built from her online footprint and enhanced by AI. This construct helps Timothy deal with the grief of losing a loved one, offering him a way to maintain a connection that feels real, even if it’s just a simulation.
To us, this may seem taboo or strange, but by the time this technology becomes mainstream, it will be as normal as the invention of television was to earlier generations. The youth of 2046 spend most of their days browsing digital storefronts filled with past celebrity personalities, or even uploading their own creations or merging them to create hybrid personas. This leads to the digital resurrection of people who are no longer alive, or even different versions of people who still are. Want to hang out with the 20-year-old version of Natalie Portman? As long as the data is available, it could happen. Even if the data isn’t all there, AI can fill in the gaps based on what’s available.
Digital Morgues and the Underground Market
This new technology sparks the rise of corporations eager to capitalize on the concept of digital resurrection. These companies develop sophisticated algorithms to scrape data from social media and other digital footprints, specializing in recreating and bringing back loved ones—or even famous personalities—for a price. Imagine a digital storefront (like the App Store), but instead of apps, it’s filled with the personalities of the deceased. While this might seem morally and ethically wrong, the terms of service most people signed long ago effectively surrendered their rights to this data.
After recovering from his emotional exchange with his mother’s construct, Timothy logs into a game where his friends are online. After getting defeated, his friends send him a message. He opens it, only to find an AR video of his friend humorously interacting with his mother’s construct—something akin to the teabagging we see in today’s gaming culture.
As with any profitable technology, underground markets quickly emerge, unleashing a whole new business based on personality piracy. Torrenting digital personas becomes the norm in these circles—rip and share, they say. This forms the basis for some of the most unethical and morally bankrupt behavior of the time, with people creating twisted versions of these personalities. Perverts might create underage avatars, and others might indulge in darker, more disturbing constructs. The law struggles to keep pace with these rapid advancements, leaving society to grapple with the moral implications of such technologies.
Digital Erotica
Meanwhile, the pornography industry thrives, driven by the demand for customized digital constructs that cater to individual desires. Personalities aren’t just constructed from old data; they can be tailored to the user’s specific preferences. Feeling lonely? There’s a construct for that. Think of these companions as advanced avatars that can offer everything from emotional support to entertainment, fully customizable to your liking.
Frustrated after his gaming experience, Timothy shuts down the game. Suddenly, he is alone. In an age where constant stimulation is the norm, this sudden quiet is overwhelming. Seeking comfort, he activates his companion construct, who begins to engage him in a soothing and personalized interaction.
Timothy is alone. -Circuit Surfer ⎐⎏⎐⎏
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