Digital Twin: A small scene from the web series Mismatched 2 is no longer just an imagination in today’s times. In that scene, Prajakta Kohli and Rohit Saraf’s character shows an AI app that can talk in the voice of a deceased person and send messages. As the story progresses, the question deepens that if technology gives us the opportunity to talk to a dead person, then where will the line be drawn between memories and emotional closure?
Technology turning from fiction to reality
While the series portrayed this as an emotional dilemma, the real world is rapidly moving in the same direction. Tech companies are now working on such tools that can provide the experience of communication with a person even after his death. Hearing a familiar voice, getting advice or feeling like having a conversation, all this is now becoming the emerging reality of 2026.
What is Digital Afterlife and Grief Tech?
According to a report in The Conversation, AI is now making the concept of a digital afterlife possible. This is often called the Griff Tech. This involves AI-generated digital twins or deathbots that are trained on a person’s voice notes, videos, photographs, messages and memories. The result is a chatbot or avatar that mimics the style of speaking, temperament and manner of conversation, as if the human has become digitally immortal.
Emotional peace or new confusion?
The attraction of this technology is not difficult to understand. It can provide a sense of comfort and connection to families who have lost a loved one. But along with this many legal and ethical questions also arise such as consent, ownership of data and misuse.
Who owns identity after death?
The biggest question is whether a person’s identity is considered his even after his death? In many countries including Australia and India, the law still does not make it clear whether voice, face or personality are someone’s property or not. Copyright protects works like books or films but not a person’s presence, voice or style of speaking. In such a situation, if AI responds using data related to a person’s life, then who will be its owner: the family, the person or the company?
What is the situation in India?
Some initial steps in this direction have definitely been seen in India. In recent years, many famous personalities have approached the courts under personality rights to protect their identities from being used without permission. Celebrities like Karan Johar, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Sadhguru and Arijit Singh are examples of this. However, such legal protection clearly does not exist for ordinary citizens.
Threat of defamation and liability
Another concern is that AI may change over time. If a digital twin starts expressing thoughts in the future that the real person never expressed, or his behavior goes in the wrong direction, who will be responsible – the family, the platform or the developers? There is no clear answer to this.
Impact on mental health too
Psychologists believe that constantly interacting with AI forms of deceased loved ones could prolong grief rather than shorten it. This can increase emotional dependency and make it more difficult to achieve closure. Additionally, when users entrust their personal memories and data to such platforms, it is not clear what will happen to that digital avatar if the company is closed or sold.
How safe is trust without law?
As the idea of a digital afterlife becomes more common, the lack of strong regulations is also increasing the danger. Experts say that unless governments make clear and strict laws, leaving your voice, memories and identity in the hands of private companies can be a risky decision. Grief Tech may provide relief to some people, but comfort and control do not always go hand in hand.
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