The tech industry has found its way into various aspects of the business of death, according to culture journalist Mihika Agarwal. From digital estate planning to crowdfunding funeral costs, there are numerous options gaining traction in this space. Agarwal discusses her reporting on the grief tech industry and the ethical concerns surrounding it in an interview with Marketplace’s Lily Jamali.
Agarwal highlights some of the apps in this industry, such as StoryFile and HereAfter AI, which allow users to record interviews and create interactive memories. On the other end of the spectrum, there are apps like You, Only Virtual that aim to recreate the presence of deceased loved ones. However, the ethical concerns arise from the lack of transparency and privacy disclosures from these companies, as well as the nascent post-mortem consumer protection landscape in the United States.
The issue of privacy invasion also comes into play when dealing with someone’s digital footprint after their death. The question of consent, inheritance, and ownership of digital assets is still being debated in Silicon Valley and the cybersecurity landscape.
Agarwal introduces the term “death technopreneurship,” which refers to the trend of entrepreneurs capitalizing on the anxieties surrounding digital obsolescence and death. This trend has led to the rise of startups in the digital estate planning and grief tech space.
As an Indian journalist, Agarwal notes the cultural differences in mourning rituals between India and the United States. In India, there are elaborate mourning rituals that last for 13 days, allowing family and friends to gather and commemorate the deceased. In contrast, the United States lacks federally mandated bereavement policies, with most companies offering only a few days off for grieving.
The interview concludes with a mention of Justin Harrison, CEO of You, Only Virtual, who hopes to eliminate grief altogether through his startup. However, there are concerns about outsourcing grief to technology and the importance of processing death in a healthy way.
Overall, the article sheds light on the growing industry of grief tech and the ethical and cultural implications it raises.
