Death is only the beginning? Meta patents tech that'll let AI run your social media from beyond the grave | WION Explains

"Death is only the beginning," proclaimed Imhotep, the antagonist from 'The Mummy,' a popular movie on ancient curses and reincarnation from the 2000s. Now, Mark Zuckerberg's Meta may actually be on its way to make this a reality. Meta, as per reports, has been granted the patent for a technology that can make our social media accounts and, in turn, us immortal. How? By letting artificial intelligence "simulate" a person's online activity even after their death. But how much would the service cost? How ethical is monetising grief? Here's all you need to know.

Meta patents 'life after death' online

In December 2025, Zuckerberg's Meta was granted a patent for a technology that can "simulate" how a real person would respond to content posted online by their loved ones. This technology can potentially be used by content creators during media detox, and more alarmingly, to keep alive a person's online legacy after they die. How? The language model will theoretically do this by replicating the individual's online footprint from when they were alive.

The tool, as per Business Insider, seems to be specifically designed for Meta's own platforms, Facebook and Instagram.

"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," reads the patent granted to Meta, with Andrew Bosworth, the company's CTO, listed as the primary author. The request for this patent, as per reports, was filed in 2023.

Once the tech is executed, it can not only leave comments but also respond to messages. The patent also refers to more advanced technological feats, including simulating audio and even video calls. How? Meta will train its model on user-specific data to understand how you would (or rather, did) behave.

When will this technology be available?

Talking to Business Insider, a spokesperson for the tech giant said that while Meta files patents to disclose technological concepts, it does not necessarily mean the company will pursue, develop or implement the technology.

Monetising grief?

Despite Meta's assurances that it does not have any plans to float the technology at the moment, the patent raises important ethical questions about technology and monetising grief. Automated legacy accounts are not a new concept; Meta previously introduced a feature that allows users to assign someone to operate their account in the event of their passing.

Similarly, as previously reported by WION, many companies offer services like "deadbots" or "griefbots" that can bring a dead loved one back to life. These chatbots can simulate the personality and speech patterns of a dead loved one using the digital footprints— messages, etc— they've left behind. But how ethical is this? AI ethicists have earlier warned that such services would do more harm than good and can even "haunt" users.