Digital Afterlife: Hollywood and AI Tech

AI-Generated Artwork Granted Copyright Protection

Court Sides with Creators in Landmark AI Copyright Case

Legal Frameworks for AI-Created Intellectual Property

Netflix Faces Criticism for AI Voice Recreation in Petito Documentary

Storyfile Emerges from Chapter 11

Ginger Liu is the founder of Hollywood’s Ginger Media & Entertainment, a researcher in artificial intelligence and visual arts media, and an entrepreneur, author, writer, artist, photographer, and filmmaker. Listen to the Podcast — The Digital Afterlife of Grief.

The death tech industry is a lucrative business worth $126B. Companies like StoryFile, Replika, and Hereafter AI provide different platforms that service legacy creation and, by extension, service our grief.

Ginger Liu is the founder of Hollywood’s Ginger Media & Entertainment, a PhD researcher in artificial intelligence and visual arts media, and an entrepreneur, author, writer, artist photographer, and filmmaker. Listen to the Podcast — The Digital Afterlife of Grief.

The ethics of creating a virtual version of someone are complex. Who owns the data and what about consent? Feeding the digital afterlife zeitgeist are tech giants who are eager to build a synthetic heaven where big egos go to die.

As we jump into an AI-driven future, the stories, memories, and voices of the past continue to resonate within the algorithms of our digital world. Whatever technology we use, the essence of human connection and the significance of genuine memories remain central to human agency.

Ginger Liu is the founder of Hollywood’s Ginger Media & Entertainment, a Ph.D. Researcher in artificial intelligence and visual arts media — specifically grief tech, digital afterlife, AI, death and mourning practices, AI, and photography. Education, research, and policy. Entrepreneur, author, writer, artist photographer, and filmmaker. Listen to the Podcast — The Digital Afterlife of Grief.

A round-up of the year's generative AI news.

Ginger Liu is the founder of Hollywood’s Ginger Media & Entertainment, a researcher in artificial intelligence and visual arts media, and an entrepreneur, author, writer, artist photographer, and filmmaker. Listen to the Podcast — The Digital Afterlife of Grief.

Grief tech is changing the way we communicate with our deceased loved ones and how we cope with their passing. Our digital footprint, such as texts, photos, videos, emails, and social media accounts keeps us connected to the people close to us and worldwide. AI voice cloning creates digital replicas of a human voice by analyzing and mimicking speech patterns such as accent, tone, and pitch.

AI industry growth exceeded $40 billion in the US in 2022 and is estimated to reach $1.3 trillion over the next decade. According to a recent report, the Chatbots for Mental Health and Therapy Market will be worth $1.71 Bn by 2031. These offer support, direction, and assistance for mental health issues, including grief.

Ginger Liu is the founder of Hollywood’s ⁠Ginger Media & Entertainment,⁠ a researcher and reporter in artificial intelligence and entertainment — specifically grief tech, digital afterlife, AI, death and mourning practices, AI and photography, security, and policy, and an ⁠author,⁠ writer, ⁠artist⁠ photographer, and filmmaker. Listen to the ⁠Podcast⁠ — The Digital Afterlife of Grief.

The grieftech industry thinks so...

The death tech industry is a lucrative business worth $126B. Companies like StoryFile, Replika, and Hereafter AI provide different platforms that service legacy creation and by extension service our grief.

Michael Bommer is the latest person to create a digital replica of him likeness which will interact with his family after he has passed away. Bommer, a German startup engineer, has terminal cancer. He collaborated with California-based AI legacy startup Eternos. life, one of the latest platforms in the digital afterlife space, or so I thought. The collaboration made global news and raised ongoing questions about the ethical implications of using big tech to create and manage the afterlife.

Ginger Liu is the founder of Hollywood’s Ginger Media & Entertainment, a researcher and journalist in artificial intelligence and visual arts media — specifically grief tech, digital afterlife, AI, death and mourning practices, AI and photography, biometrics, security, and policy, and an author, writer, artist photographer, and filmmaker. Listen to the Podcast — The Digital Afterlife of Grief.

It’s a win-win for the estates of some of Hollywood’s biggest 20th-century stars while the Digital Replica Act aims to prevent AI-generated replicas of artists without prior consent.

Hollywood Stars Have New IP Life with AISAG-AFTRA Thanks California AI Artist Protection Legislation

Hollywood Teams With Holocaust Museum L.A. to Launch Augmented-Reality APP

AI Death Tech Company Eternos Creates Digital Replicas of the Dying

No Opt Out for Meta Artists in Latin America but Brazil Fights Back

AI COPIED Act Would Protect Artists and Journalists' Content

Video Platforms Enforce AI Content Labeling

Sony Pictures CEO Aims to Cut Costs with AI

Artists Protect Work from Generative AI Theft

Jackie Chan is the Latest Actor to get AI De-Aged Treatment

Fashion Brand Mango Creates Campaign with AI

CNN Will Layoff 100 Staffers to be Replaced by AI

Research Finds Generative AI Supports Creativity but Hinders Originality

Ginger Liu is the founder of Ginger Media & Entertainment, a Writer/Researcher in artificial intelligence and visual arts media — specifically Hollywood, death tech, digital afterlife, AI death and grief practices, AI photography, entertainment, security, and policy, and an author, writer, artist photographer, and filmmaker. Listen to the Podcast — The Digital Afterlife of Grief.

Ginger Liu is a writer who covers the latest developments in artificial intelligence, entertainment, and art.

The concept of a digital afterlife, the digital extension of life after physical death challenges the notion that death is final. The digital afterlife is not denying that the dead are dead but that they are still part of our lives. 

The commercial death tech industry is a profit-seeking industry, using digital remains for the monetization of the digital afterlife of users, such as the capitalization of human remains, which requires the payment of subscription fees by the bereaved or suffering a second loss, while creating a culture of ongoing grief where the bereaved never move on from death, which may be detrimental to the grieving process.

Ginger Liu is the founder of Ginger Media & Entertainment, a Writer/Researcher in artificial intelligence and visual arts media — specifically Hollywood, death tech, digital afterlife, AI death and grief practices, AI photography, entertainment, security, and policy, and an author, writer, artist photographer, and filmmaker. Listen to the Podcast — The Digital Afterlife of Grief.

Ginger Liu is a writer who covers the latest developments in artificial intelligence, entertainment, and art.

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Hollywood streaming wars affect jobs, and there are calls for more AI legislation from Scarlett Johannson and data protection legislation for the AI death tech industry.

Legislation that protects Hollywood creatives, artists, and the deceased is an ongoing battle as industries across states and countries try, and come to an agreement with government agencies.

Ginger Liu is the founder of Ginger Media & Entertainment, a Writer/Researcher in artificial intelligence and visual arts media — specifically Hollywood, death tech, digital afterlife, AI death and grief practices, AI photography, entertainment, security, and policy, and an author, writer, artist photographer, and filmmaker. Listen to the Podcast — The Digital Afterlife of Grief.

Ginger Liu is a writer who covers the latest developments in artificial intelligence, entertainment, and art.

AI creates the impossible as real, giving animated photographs of the dead, imaginative and emotional power, and the desire to see our dead relatives return to the living.

With digital networks and AI, there is a shift in identity once the person has died and for those left behind to mourn. Introducing the deceased into the grieving process means that digital identity is often co-constructed.

The shift is in who controls the grieving process. Whereas Facebook group pages are created by a human user, such as a family member or friend who posted memories in the form of images, videos, and text, AI death tech companies are directing humans to a formula of identical posthumous identity making, a one size fits all created by small data sets and standardized questions, therefore controlling posthumous digital identity.

Images: https://medium.com/technology-hits/creating-an-ai-photorealistic-digital-afterlife-2d7accb5e40a

Ginger Liu is the founder of Ginger Media & Entertainment, a Writer/Researcher in artificial intelligence and visual arts media — specifically Hollywood, death tech, digital afterlife, AI death and grief practices, AI photography, entertainment, security, and policy, and an author, writer, artist photographer, and filmmaker. Listen to the Podcast — The Digital Afterlife of Grief.

Ginger Liu is a writer who covers the latest developments in artificial intelligence, entertainment, and art.