Beyond Deepfakes: 'Digital Duplicates' or AI Simulations of Real People-an International Ethical Consensus

MCML Authors

Benjamin Lange

Dr.

JRG Leader Ethics of AI

Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

Sven Nyholm

Prof. Dr.

Principal Investigator

Ethics of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

Digital duplicates (DDs), or AI simulations of individuals, are artificial intelligence models designed to emulate real people. Depending on how they are trained, DDs can reproduce aspects of a person’s psychology, values, and communication style, enabling interaction with digital versions of living, recently deceased, or historical individuals. Proposed uses include education, advocacy, grief support, medical decision-making, and the continuation of creative or personal projects. While potentially valuable, these applications also pose ethical risks, such as privacy loss, misrepresentation, manipulation, and the erosion of authentic human relationships. This paper, developed through an international experts meeting held in Singapore on 4–5 September 2025, argues that DDs should be treated as context-specific tools rather than general-purpose technologies. We outline a two-tier ethical framework grounded in considerations of harm and proportionality, supported by the values of information permission, transparency, authenticity, and appropriate access. The framework unites diverse moral concerns under a single framework while allowing their relative weight to vary across domains such as medicine, education, memorialization, and entertainment. By situating ethical evaluation within a harm-reduction approach that is sensitive to context, we offer a practical basis for the responsible development and governance of human-emulating AI systems.

misc HVD+25

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Preprint

Mar. 2025

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Authors

C. Hurshman • C. Voinea • W. D'Allessandro •  . Constantinescu • F. Feroz • S. Hongladarom • P. Jurcys • A. Kozlovski • B. Lange • P. Liu • J. Menikoff • S. Nyholm • A. Puzio • P. Sweeney • B. G. Sharma • E. Schwitzgebel • C. Vica • D. E. Weissglass • A. Zahiu • J. Savulescu • W. Sinnott-Armstrong • S. P. Mann • B. D. Earp

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Links

DOI

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Research Area

 C5 | Humane AI