Meta is in the news again for receiving a patent in late December for artificial intelligence technology that could simulate a deceased person’s social media activity. Users will see deceased people posting updates, responding to messages and engaging with content all via AI that is using their historical data.
The Patent Straight Out of “Black Mirror”
The patent, originally filed in November 2023 and listing Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth as primary inventor, describes how a large language model could be trained on user-specific data. This data includes posts, comments, likes, messages and voice notes to replicate online behavior. The system could generate responses to other users’ content, publish status updates and handle direct messages in a manner consistent with the original account holder’s established patterns.
According to the filing, the model may be used for simulating the user when the user is absent from the social networking system, including situations where the individual takes a long break or is deceased. The patent notes that the impact on users is much more severe and permanent if that user is deceased and can never return to the social networking platform.
The technology appears designed for Meta owned platforms including Facebook, Instagram and Threads. The filing extends beyond text based engagement to reference capabilities for simulating audio or video calls using the recreated identity, though technical implementation details remain vague in the patent documentation.
The patent aligns with prior statements from CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who discussed digital representations of deceased individuals during a 2023 interview with podcaster Lex Fridman. Around the 33:30 timestamp, Zuckerberg says:
“Yeah, I think that there are a lot of norms and things that people have to figure out around [death]. There’s probably some balance, where if someone has lost a loved one and is grieving, there may be ways in which being able to interact or relive certain memories could be helpful. But then there’s also probably an extent to which it could become unhealthy. And I mean, I’m not an expert in that, so I think we’d have to study that and understand it in more detail.”
The patent filing does not detail how consent would be obtained from the deceased person prior to death, nor does it specify what role families might play in authorizing or managing posthumous account activity. The document also does not address whether other users would be clearly informed they are interacting with an AI simulation rather than the original person.
Real World Examples and Reactions
Similar concepts have emerged elsewhere in the technology sector. Microsoft patented a chatbot in 2021 that would enable users to communicate with specific individuals including deceased people. Multiple startups now offer services allowing users to create interactive digital avatars of deceased relatives, marketed as grief technology or digital afterlife services.
Researchers have raised concerns about psychological and ethical implications.
Not everyone is happy with watching their deceased loved ones. For example, Zelda Williams, daughter of actor Robin Williams, publicly urged people to stop sending her AI generated videos of her father.
Meta introduced legacy contact features over a decade ago, allowing users to designate someone to manage certain aspects of their account after death. The company has not indicated whether the patented AI simulation technology would integrate with existing memorial account systems or operate as a separate capability.
When Can We Talk to Our Loved Ones?
The patent grant comes as Meta continues substantial investment in AI infrastructure, with the company allocating between $115 billion and $135 billion for AI related capital spending in 2026. That investment focuses primarily on advertising efficiency and core business operations rather than speculative applications like posthumous account simulation.
However, with all the patent acquisition hubbub, Meta claims it has no plans to execute the patent as of yet. The company did not provide additional comment on whether any version of the technology might be pursued under different parameters.
