Dearly Departed conversations: What is your digital afterlife?

Much of contemporary life is now recorded in data, images and online interactions, shaping how we are remembered and memorialised. From archived social media accounts to AI-generated avatars, new technologies are reshaping how we remember, grieve, and potentially reanimate, those who have died. Join us for a panel discussion that brings together leading voices to examine the culture, ethical and social implications of digital remains, including consent, data stewardship and digital legacy.

Facilitator:

Tegan Taylor

Tegan Taylor is a health and science reporter for the ABC and co-host of the multi-award-winning Coronacast. She is the current host of Life Matters on Radio National and has previously co-hosted the multi-award-winning Coronacast, as well as the Health Report, Ockham's Razor and Quick Smart. She's received a Walkley Award, the Eureka Prize for Science Journalism and her work has appeared in the Best of Australian Science Writing. She's a regular on ABC Radio National's Health Report, and has been known to pop up on RN Life Matters, Triple J and in the Best of Australian Science Writing. In 2020, Coronacast won a Walkley award and the Eureka Prize for Science Journalism. Tegan was previously a producer on the ABC's national digital newsdesk, a journalism lecturer at The University of Queensland and, long ago, a newspaper reporter.

Panellists:

Dr Leah Henrickson

Dr Leah Henrickson is a Senior Lecturer in Digital Media and Cultures at the University of Queensland. She is the author of (Cambridge University Press, 2021) and other peer-reviewed articles about how we understand text generation systems and output, artificial intelligence and digital media environments. Dr Henrickson has published extensively on artificial intelligence and language models, and shared her expertise on podcasts about the digital afterlife and grief bots including Death and Law: Digital Afterlife, and CSIRO Everyday AI: AI and relationships – the human connection. Dr Henrickson is an active member of the University of Aberdeen's Death and Law: Interdisciplinary Explorations research group which re-examines legal perspectives on death using insights from other disciplines.

Dr Sarah Winch

Dr Sarah Winch brings extensive expertise in community and professional death literacy and has published numerous works including two books on how to have the best death possible in Australia as well encouraging Death Cafes and the inaugural Death Festival in Brisbane. She is the former head of Medical Ethics, Law and Professionalism at the University of Queensland completed ethics internships in St Vincents Hospital Manhattan, Yale University and the Hastings Center in New York state. Her expertise is regularly sought in Australia and internationally, when advanced knowledge of ethics is required. Now retired, Dr Winch shares her extensive experience through speaking engagements

Brett Leavy

Brett Leavy is a proud First Nations descendant of the Kooma people of western Queensland, Australia. A visionary in digital storytelling and interactive media, Brett has dedicated his career to the virtual reconstruction of First Nations cultural heritage, knowledge and history. His work brings to life immersive, interactive experiences that authentically represent Indigenous traditions, landscapes and stories. As the Director of Bilbie XR Labs, Brett leads a pioneering team in developing Virtual Songlines, an advanced software development kit built on Unreal Engine 5. This innovative platform enables the gamification of topographically accurate landscapes, creating cultural "time machines" where users can engage with traditional knowledge through virtual custodians.

Content note

This event forms part of Dearly Departed: death in life and engages with themes of death, dying, memory and remembrance. Content may include personal stories, imagery, sound or discussion that some people may find emotionally affecting. You’re welcome to participate at your own pace and to step away or take a break at any time.

Some events may also include references to, or recordings of, people who have since passed, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

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Host or Publisher State Library of Queensland