The Rise of AI Deadbots Navigating Death in the Digital Age | Jason Batt

Being Haunted by AI Deadbots: The Mythology Nobody Prepared Us For In this episode, Jason D. Batt, Ph.D., technological philosopher, futurist, mythologist, and co-author of Soul and the Machine, joins host Niki Weiss to explore what AI deadbots are, why humanity has always used ritual to process death, and what happens when we outsource grief to technology without a mythology to hold it. CHAPTERS 0:00 Being Haunted by AI Deadbots: The Mythology Nobody Prepared Us For 1:02 Welcome Jason: technological philosopher, futurist, and mythologist 2:20 Why death has been part of human storytelling from the very beginning 4:15 What morbid anatomy is and why Jason studies it 6:30 The difference between archival and generative AI in the context of death 9:45 What an AI deadbot is and who is building them right now 13:00 Why ritual matters in grief and what happens when we skip it 16:22 Soul and the Machine: writing a book about depth psychology and AI 19:08 Whether convenience is the enemy of meaningful grief processing 22:45 What mythology tells us about our relationship with the dead 25:30 Science fiction as the space where we rehearse our relationship with AI 28:15 Why Jason is cautious but not dismissive about grief technology 31:00 Ritually vacant: why Jason believes modern society has a soul sickness 33:35 Jason's takeaways: contemplate death, wonder at it, and do not conclude WHAT YOU WILL LEARN - What AI deadbots are, who is building them, and what the philosophical distinction is between archival and generative AI in the context of grief - Why mythology and ritual have always been the tools humans use to process death and what it costs us when technology replaces them - What the concept of soul sickness is and why Jason believes ritually vacant modern society is producing it at scale - Why science fiction is where humanity rehearses its relationship with emerging technology and why that matters for how we regulate grief tech - Why Jason's most important takeaway is to spend time contemplating death without a screen and without a conclusion Start your plan and take the free assessment: https://finalplaybook.com/main-page LISTEN TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/death-and-dying-in-the-digital-age/id1775499012 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MQkOgvyPQnLEz1fO9BHkY Subscribe: @DigitalLegacyPodcast FOLLOW US Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/endevo.digitallegacy TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@endevo_digitallegacy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/endevo_digitallegacy/ Download the My Final Playbook app: Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=endevo.life.finalplaybook Apple App Store: [link coming soon] #deathandyinginthedigitalage #ENDevo #digitallegacy #digitallegacypodcast #myfinalplaybook Disclaimer: The Death and Dying in the Digital Age channel is for educational purposes only and does not provide medical, legal, or financial advice. Views expressed by the host and guests are their own. Always consult qualified professionals before making decisions. The channel is not responsible for actions taken based on its content. Re-uploads or ANY use of our content is prohibited.