Bodies Into Myths
"We turn people's bodies into myths and narratives that then define social norms."
— Ruby Justice Lo, artist & researcher
- We think more about the dead as people who died than as people who lived
- Governments use the dead as symbols of legitimacy
- Movements turn them into martyrs to rally behind
- The person becomes an idea — less about the human, more about the story
Who Gets Protection?
"King's estate rightfully raised this with OpenAI, but many deceased individuals don't have well-known and well-resourced estates to represent them. We want to avoid a situation where unless we're very famous, society accepts that after we die there is a free-for-all over how we continue to be represented."
— Henry Ajder, generative AI expert
Protected (if they ask)
- MLK (after estate complained)
- Famous people with resourced estates
Unprotected
- Everyone else
- The dead can't opt out
- No estate = no recourse
