When a social media user passes away, their profile often becomes a quiet space of remembrance. It becomes a place where loved ones share condolences, revisit photographs, and hold on to memories that remain, even though no new moments are added. A newly granted patent to Meta suggests a very different possibility: accounts that continue to post, reply, and interact through artificial intelligence.
The patent describes a system that can study a user’s past activity, from status updates and comments to messaging patterns and reactions, and generate new interactions in the same style.
Meta has said it has no plans to launch such a feature, but the concept has drawn attention for what it reveals about the future of online identity and platform economics.
At one level, the idea is about continuity. The document suggests AI-driven activity could keep communities engaged when a user becomes inactive for a long period.
For followers of influencers, creators, or highly active users, a dormant account often signals an abrupt end to a familiar digital presence. An automated system could prevent that silence.
But the shift from memorial pages to simulated activity changes the meaning of a profile. For families and friends who treat social media pages as spaces of remembrance, the possibility of new posts generated in a person’s name may feel unsettling.
The technology blurs the line between preserving memories and recreating behaviour. The patent also reflects the commercial realities of social media. Platforms depend on regular interaction to sustain visibility and advertising revenue.
Inactive accounts reduce content flow and user engagement. An AI system that keeps profiles active, whether during long breaks or after death, points to how deeply personal data is now tied to business models.
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This is where the human questions become unavoidable. Did the user consent to being represented by an algorithm? Who decides whether such a system should be activated: the individual before death, their family, or the platform? And how would people feel interacting with a digital version of someone who is no longer alive?
There are no immediate plans to turn the patent into a product. Yet it arrives at a moment when artificial intelligence is rapidly expanding what can be done with personal data. Social media profiles are no longer just records of past lives; they are detailed behavioural maps.
The larger debate is not about one company or one feature. It is about how much of a person can, or should, continue to exist online, and who gets to make that decision.