Artificial intelligence (AI) is opening new frontiers in consumer behavior, and according to VML’s “Future Shopper Report 2024,” almost 47% of global consumers are intrigued by the idea of shopping after they’ve passed away.
This concept, known as “post-death consumerism,” is introduced in the report as the possibility of training an AI to learn an individual’s shopping and financial habits while they are alive. The AI would then take control of their digital estate after death, continuing to make purchasing decisions on their behalf. VML explains this idea with examples like “paying for your grandchildren's education or sending a birthday gift, even after you're gone.”
The study, which surveyed 31,500 consumers across 20 countries, revealed that interest in post-death shopping is particularly high in places like India and the UAE, where nearly 70% of respondents expressed interest. In the U.S., the figure was lower, with 36% of those surveyed showing curiosity about continuing to make purchases after death.
One notable finding was that older consumers were less likely to embrace the idea of maintaining a digital presence after their death, highlighting generational differences in how people view the role of technology in life and beyond.
Other intriguing insights from the report on post-death consumerism include:
45% of respondents said they would be interested in uploading their personalities to the cloud or metaverse, allowing them to exist as AI avatars after their death.
46% of consumers said they would be interested in having virtual dinner parties in the metaverse, featuring historical figures brought back to life using AI.
Another 46% expressed interest in communicating with deceased loved ones, with AI bringing them “back to life” for conversations. Only 31% of respondents were not interested in this idea.
Though these findings were shared around Halloween, VML made it clear that it is not suggesting brands should immediately implement a post-death consumer strategy. Rather, the study highlights the growing influence of AI in redefining consumer behavior and interactions. AI-driven chatbots are already replacing human customer service agents, and bots are frequently used to handle high-demand purchases like sneaker releases and concert tickets.
Jason Carmel, VML’s global lead of creative data, emphasized that the report serves as a “wake-up call” to how open consumers are to allowing AI to represent important aspects of their lives.
The idea of post-death consumerism also brings to mind an episode of Black Mirror titled “Be Right Back.” In the episode, a woman named Martha, who is grieving the loss of her boyfriend Ash, uploads all of his online content—texts, social media posts, videos, and photos—into an AI system that mimics his personality. The AI version of Ash soon becomes a robotic replica, but Martha finds that the lack of spontaneity and imperfections makes the replica less fulfilling, eventually leading to her disappointment.
As Chris Ryan wrote in his review of the episode for The Ringer, Black Mirror often examines the emotional costs of fulfilling our desires, and “Be Right Back” explores the consequences of bringing someone back exactly as we want them, without the flaws that made them human.
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