What happens to your Facebook account after you die? In reality, not much. If Meta gets its way, however, it could keep a dead person’s account active by employing an AI to impersonate the user. That’s the gist of the idea Meta filed a patent for back in 2023, which was recently granted. There’s no possible way this will be used to pretend it’s not losing Facebook users.*
The patent, filed by Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth, notes how a large language model (LLM) may step in if it detects a user’s Facebook or Instagram account has been inactive for longer than usual. It’s an eerie thought, and one we’re sure people won’t be keen on if it becomes reality.
Meta goes meta
“The language model may be used for simulating the user when the user is absent from the social networking system, for example, when the user takes a long break or if the user is deceased,” the patent reads.
The LLM would, of course, be trained on “user-specific” data to help it fully embody the deceased user in question. It’d obviously never be able to capture the user’s voice accurately when posting, replying to comments, or responding to DMs. Not that the folks still wandering around Facebook care too much. The patent also refers to tech that would allow the LLM to simulate voice or video calls with friends.
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As Business Insider points out, the feature could potentially be handy for influencers who make a living off social media. Personally, the thought of an ‘influencer’ raking in unearned cash doesn’t sit right with us. It’s infinitely more off-putting for family members of a deceased user who won’t stop shitposting from beyond the grave.
Fortunately, a Meta spokesperson confirmed to Business Insider that it currently has no plans to implement the tech into its platforms, despite the clear indication that it has thought about it. Yet, anyway. Perhaps the political climate is just a little too stable for Facebook to unleash such a controversial feature upon users. Never say never, right?
*It is, in fact, entirely possible.
