Reincarnating in the Age of the Algorithm: Corporeal-Affective Reflections on AI and Death

Abstract

This chapter delves into the emergence of sensibilities surrounding death, driven by recent technological advancements in the field of artificial intelligence. The primary focus lies in the realm of emotions and bodies connected to the digital recreation of the deceased. To accomplish this, it employs virtual ethnography principles to scrutinize visual components within both fictional contexts, such as series and films addressing this phenomenon, and non-fictional domains, including emerging interactive devices and platforms related to ‘death’. Drawing from the foundations of sociology of emotions and bodies, the analysis centers on a collection of ‘contemporary postcards’. These postcards serve as condensed depictions, offering valuable insights into the evolving sensibilities associated with death, a crucial element for comprehending ongoing processes of social structuration.