Meta has been granted a patent for an AI system that could simulate a person’s social media activity, including continuing to post on Facebook after they die.
Before anyone panics, Meta says it has no plans to build or release this technology. Still, the patent filing outlines in detail how a large language model could be trained on a user’s past posts, comments, messages, likes and other activity to effectively keep their account active, even after death.
The idea sounds like something straight out of Black Mirror, but it is very real on paper.
What Meta’s AI Patent Actually Says
The patent, originally filed in 2023 and granted in late December, describes how a large language model could “simulate” a user when they are absent from the platform. That includes taking a long break from social media or being deceased.
According to reporting from Business Insider, the system would analyse “user-specific” data such as historical posts, comments, chats, voice messages and likes. From that, it could generate new content, reply to messages, comment on posts and interact in a way that mirrors the original account holder.
The filing states that the impact on followers is “much more severe and permanent” if a user is deceased and can never return. The AI system is presented as a way to fill that gap.
The patent lists Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s CTO, as the primary author. It also references the possibility of simulating audio or even video calls using the reconstructed digital persona.
A Meta spokesperson told Business Insider that the company has “no plans to move forward with this example” and stressed that patents are often filed to protect ideas that may never become products.
Why Meta Thinks This Could Be Useful
The patent does not frame the technology purely around death. It also mentions users who step away from social media for extended periods, such as creators or influencers who rely on consistent engagement for income.
In that scenario, an AI understudy could maintain engagement, reply to messages and keep an account active while the real person takes a break.
Meta has previously explored digital legacy tools. Around a decade ago, Facebook introduced features allowing users to assign a “legacy contact” to manage their account after death. The company has also discussed AI avatars more broadly.
In a 2023 interview with Lex Fridman, Mark Zuckerberg suggested there may be ways AI could help people interact with memories of loved ones. He added that such systems should ultimately require the person’s consent.
The newly granted patent shows how that thinking could technically be implemented.
The Wider ‘Grief Tech’ Trend
Meta is not alone in exploring this space. So-called “grief tech” or “death bots” have already emerged through startups that allow people to create interactive digital versions of deceased relatives.
Business Insider reports that Replika was founded by Eugenia Kuyda after the loss of a friend, while You, Only Virtual was launched by Justin Harrison following his mother’s cancer diagnosis.
Even Microsoft patented an AI chatbot in 2021 that could simulate deceased individuals, fictional characters or celebrities.
The difference here is scale. Meta owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. If a system like this were ever rolled out, it could potentially affect billions of accounts.
Legal, Ethical And Business Questions
Not everyone is convinced this is a good direction.
Edina Harbinja, a professor at the University of Birmingham specialising in digital rights and post-mortem privacy, told Business Insider that technology like this raises significant legal, social and philosophical issues.
She also pointed to the business incentives. More simulated users could mean more engagement, more content and more data to train future AI systems.
Joseph Davis, a sociology professor at the University of Virginia, expressed concern about how AI replicas could affect the grieving process. One of the tasks of grief, he argued, is confronting the reality of loss. An AI version of a deceased person could blur that boundary in unsettling ways.
There are also practical questions. Would the AI behave differently on WhatsApp compared to Instagram comments? Would it understand private humour versus public tone? And how would consent be handled after death?
Is Facebook Really Letting You Post After Death?
Right now, no.
Meta has made it clear that this patent does not signal an upcoming product. Companies frequently patent concepts to protect intellectual property, even if those ideas never reach the market.
However, the fact that Meta has formally outlined how an AI could keep a Facebook account posting after death shows how quickly digital identity technology is evolving.
Whether this remains a theoretical safeguard or becomes a real feature one day will likely depend on public reaction, regulation and how comfortable people become with AI replicas of themselves.
For now, your Facebook account will not outlive you, but the idea that it technically could is no longer science fiction.