In a development that feels straight out of a sci-fi thriller, Meta has been granted a U.S. patent for artificial intelligence that could keep a person’s social media presence alive even after they die. The patent, filed in 2023 and approved in late December 2025, outlines a system where a large language model is trained on a user’s posts, comments, likes, messages, and other interactions to “simulate the user when the user is absent from the social networking system, for example, when … the user is deceased.”
According to the filing, the AI wouldn’t just preserve a static archive. It would actively generate new content, respond to friends’ posts, and even maintain ongoing engagement in the style of the original user. The patent text notes that the technology could “respond to content, reply to direct messages, and maintain ongoing engagement based on prior behavior.”
Meta’s own spokesperson has been quick to temper concerns, telling Business Insider that the company “has no plans to move forward with this example,” underscoring that a patent does not necessarily mean a product is coming.
Despite that, the idea raises big questions about digital legacy, consent, and emotional impact. The document itself acknowledges that “[t]he impact on the users is much more severe and permanent if that user is deceased and can never return,” highlighting the complex balance between innovation and ethics.
For now, the notion of AI mediating life after death remains a theoretical patent, but it underscores how generative AI is pushing into deeply personal and sensitive territory.
