Throughout human history the desire to communicate with the dead has informed our interpretation of life itself. From the necromancy of the ancient world to the spiritualist movement of the nineteenth century, the concept of speaking to the dead has taken many shapes in its attempted practice, and, in turn, lent to cultural responses ranging from strict prohibitions to enthusiastic endorsements. Today, AI is being used in private and commercial applications to extend communications with the deceased through text- and video-based communications—many of which purport to voice and embody the recently living, those who have left a digital footprint. This presentation addresses the current uses of AI applications for mediumship and the ethical questions regarding the use of emerging technologies to chart and manifest relationships with the deceased. By extension, it asks whether AI mediumship has the power to reimagine our very conceptions of life and death.

Dr. Emily L. Spratt is an arts and technology academic and consultant, and an external advisor to Ethical Tech. As a fellow at Columbia University in the Data Science Institute with additional sponsorship from the Program in Historic Preservation and the Department of Computer Science, Emily’s current research focuses on the philosophical and ethical implications of AI-enhanced technologies for the analysis, generation, and curation of art and architecture, and digital images more broadly. Emily completed a Ph.D. and an M.A. at Princeton University in Byzantine and Renaissance art history, and also holds an M.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, in Byzantine art history and a B.A. from Cornell University in art history, religious studies, and psychology. Emily has taught in the Department of Art History at Rutgers University, has been a member of several computer vision science labs and programs, and also has international experience in the art market and the museum and cultural heritage sector. Emily has been a strategic advisor and collaborator for numerous companies, institutions, and governments. Her insights on art, AI, ethics, and society have been sought by news outlets such as the Washington Post and CBS News.