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HAIFA, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 9, 2023--

Lack of data protection laws in the UK could see an increasing problem of AI “ghostbots” made from people’s digital footprints, new research from Queen’s University Belfast has suggested. “Ghostbot” is a term used to describe what happens when artificial intelligence is used to create digital reincarnations of the dead. The technology used to create this includes chatbots, deepfakes or holographs that can replicate the voice, face and even personality of a dead person using data from social media. 'Ghostbots' lie at the intersection of many different areas of law, such as privacy and property, and yet there remains a lack of protection for the deceased’s personality, privacy, or dignity after death Dr Marisa McVey, Queen’s University Belfast As the concept of digital reincarnation moves into the mainstream, celebrities are beginning to showcase the capabilities of such technology, for example, a hologram of the late Robert Kardashian created using deepfake technology was gifted to Kim Kardashian by Kanye West in 2020, which used her father’s likeness and spoke in his voice. A research study titled Governing Ghostbots from Queen’s University Belfast, Aston Law School and Newcastle University Law School, has suggested that greater societal awareness of “ghostbots” and a “do not bot me” clause in wills and other contracts could prevent people from being digitally reincarnated without permission. The research looked at potential legal avenues to protect privacy (including post-mortem privacy), property, personal data, and reputation. Dr Marisa McVey from the School of Law at Queen’s University Belfast said there was a lack of protection for people’s privacy or dignity after death. Currently, in the absence of specific legislation in the UK and further afield, it’s unclear who might have the power to bring back our digital persona after we die Dr Marisa McVey, Queen’s University Belfast “’Ghostbots’ lie at the intersection of many different areas of law, such as privacy and property, and yet there remains a lack of protection for the deceased’s personality, privacy, or dignity after death,” she said. “Furthermore, in the UK, privacy and data protection laws do not extend to heirs after death,” she said. “While it is not thought that ‘ghostbots’ could cause physical harm, the likelihood is that they could cause emotional distress and economic harm, particularly impacting upon the deceased’s loved ones and heirs. “Currently, in the absence of specific legislation in the UK and further afield, it’s unclear who might have the power to bring back our digital persona after we die.” In the US and EU there is increasing momentum to legislate on who has ownership over a person’s digital identity, for example the EU AI Act which requires greater transparency for deepfakes and chatbots. In the absence of legislation in the UK, one way to protect our post-mortem selves might be through the drafting of a legally binding ‘do not bot me’ clause that could be inserted into wills and other contracts while people are still alive Dr Marisa McVey, Queen’s University Belfast Dr McVey has suggested that in addition to more formal legislation, an increased understanding of the phenomenon of “ghostbots” could help people to protect their data. “In the absence of legislation in the UK, one way to protect our post-mortem selves might be through the drafting of a legally binding ‘do not bot me’ clause that could be inserted into wills and other contracts while people are still alive,” she said. “This, combined with a global searchable database of such requests, may prove a useful solution to some of the concerns raised by ‘ghostbots’. “We also suggest that in addition to legal protections, greater societal awareness of the phenomenon of ‘ghostbots’, education on digital legacies and cohesive protection across different jurisdictions is crucial to ensure that this does not happen without our permission.” The research was a part of the Leverhulme Trust-funded project Modern Technologies, Privacy Law And The Dead. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Banking app feature allows economic abuse survivors to mute malicious messages Augmented reality headset Vision Pro is ‘most advanced device ever’ – Apple Revealed: The delivery apps charging you double for your food shop

Apple said a lot of words during its recent major event, in which it revealed a new headset and updates for all of its platforms over the course of more than two hours. But there was one specific word – or, more specifically, two initials – that it did not mention at all. The company did not reveal a single product powered by AI, and did not mention artificial intelligence even in passing. It was a marked contrast with other recent tech launches, which have seen companies attempt to link a wide array of new products with the hype over artificial intelligence. In advance of the event, many had speculated that Apple could be forced to discuss AI because of the increasing focus on how companies are using it in their products. Google’s recent I/O event, for instance, made heavy use of the word, seemingly in response to criticism from pundits and shareholders that it was failing to convince the world it had done enough with artificial intelligence. Apple instead opted to describe most updates that could be called “AI” as machine learning, using a more precise term that has fallen out of popularity as artificial intelligence has become so popular as a marketing term. But it even seemed to avoid using that phrase often, even when it could have done. It was not for want of new features that are built on tools that could be described as AI, if Apple wanted to. It showed off everything from automated transcriptions of voice notes and voicemails to AirPods features that can recognise sounds in the environment and filter them out or not depending on whether they seem urgent. Describing them in other ways therefore seemed as if it was an intentional rejection of what has become a voguish way of describing new features in tech in recent months. Apple generally tends to favour words of its own invention, over new and much hyped terms in the technology industry. It also avoided using the word “metaverse” throughout the whole launch event, for instance, despite launching a product that fits specifically with the new focus on virtual and augmented reality. But the lack of mention of AI seemed as if it was the result of an even more active choice to reject the wording. In that way, it seemed to reflect an increasing concern that the widespread use of artificial intelligence as a marketing term is serving both to water down the meaning of the word and confuse users about the actual nature of the product it is being used to describe. It may also be part of an increasing sense that AI is not necessarily viewed positively, and could reflect badly on the products that it is used to market. Recent months have seen a run of reports about both the danger of AI products and the techniques used to make them, such as the analysis of large amounts of data without the consent of those depicted, and so Apple may have decided that using the word could lead to negative connotations.

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., & JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 28, 2023--

Suspending a plan to retire 11,300 megawatts of South African coal-fired power generation to ease blackouts could lead

SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2023--

In early July, Twitter started imposing rate limiting, severely reducing the number of tweets users