Meta receives patent for AI that could simulate users’ social media activity after death
Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has been granted a patent for artificial intelligence technology that could simulate a user’s social media activity, including posting and “liking” content, even after the user’s death, a Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The patent, granted in late December and first filed in 2023, outlines how a large language model could “simulate” a person’s behavior on a social networking platform.
According to the patent document, “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 technology would analyze “user-specific” data such as historical posts, comments, likes and other activity to learn patterns of behavior. Once trained, the AI system could automatically respond to content, interact with other users, and potentially simulate audio or video calls.
In the patent, Meta states that prolonged inactivity affects other users’ experience. “The impact on the users is much more severe and permanent if that user is deceased and can never return to the social networking platform,” the document says. Despite this, a Meta spokesperson said that the company has “no plans to move forward with this example,” noting that obtaining a patent does not necessarily mean the technology will be developed or implemented.
Earlier, Qazinform reported Meta acquired Chinese-founded artificial intelligence (AI) startup Manus.