Would You Leave Behind A Digital Clone After Death? Gen Z Is Into This 'Grief Tech' Trend: Study

As technology continues pushing the boundaries of what was once deemed impossible, the concept of leaving behind a digital avatar is no longer confined to science fiction. This ‘grief tech’ is gaining traction, particularly among younger generations, who are challenging traditional attitudes towards mortality.

What Happened: A recent study delved into the evolving attitudes towards ‘grief tech’ and uncovered a clear generational divide. The study revealed that younger generations are more open to the idea of creating digital avatars to mitigate the pain of grieving, with 24% of Gen Zers and 27% of Gen Yers expressing positive sentiments. In contrast, only 2% of Older Adults (born pre-1946) share this view.

These findings reflect the shifting attitudes towards mortality, with younger generations openly discussing death, a topic traditionally avoided by older generations. The study also highlighted ethical concerns, such as data privacy and manipulation, with nearly 30% of respondents expressing apprehension about potential data misuse.

See Also: Tesla CEO Elon Musk Reacts To Apple Co-Founder Steve Jobs On Finding Top Talent: ‘You Build Up These Pockets Of ‘A’ Players And It Propagates’

The rise of ‘grief tech’ is also prompting discussions about including digital avatars in wills, with the introduction of digital do-not-reanimate (DDNR) orders and more nuanced instructions to specify the use cases.

Why It Matters: The emergence of ‘grief tech’ and the generational divide it has exposed reflects the broader societal shift towards embracing technology in all aspects of life, including death. This trend is evident in various industries, such as fast food, where AI is being used to revolutionize operations and the shift from electric vehicles to home robotics by tech giant Apple.

However, this rapid advancement in technology also raises concerns about privacy and ethical implications, as seen in the case of Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology. The growing use of AI in various industries has also sparked a talent war for AI engineers, with companies like OpenAI aggressively poaching talent from other tech giants.

As the debate around ‘grief tech’ intensifies, it is clear that a delicate balance between technological advancement and ethical considerations is necessary to ensure that the legacy we leave behind in the digital realm reflects our true selves and honors our memory.

Read Next: Elon Musk Says All Nations ‘Above A Certain Per Capita Income’ Are Committing ‘Demographic Suicide’

Image Via Unsplash