The Virality and Its Consequences: A Critical Literature Review on the Propagation of AI-Resurrected Celebrity Videos
Abstract
The advent of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has precipitated a paradigm shift in the socio-technological mediation of death, memory, and celebrity. This literature review reveals that the propagation of AI-resurrected videos of deceased controversial public figures follows a distinct lifecycle, exposing critical deficiencies in existing legal and ethical frameworks. It traces this lifecycle from its inception, driven by motivations ranging from sincere memorialization to commercial exploitation and parodic critique, to its accelerated dissemination through the participatory and memetic logics of online culture. The analysis subsequently delves into the profound legal and ethical vacuums this lifecycle exposes, focusing on the inadequacy of existing personality rights frameworks to govern posthumous digital personas and the multifaceted conflicts concerning dignity, psychological harm, and community polarization. Synthesizing insights from digital ethics, media studies, and law, the review contends that "memetic memorialization" constitutes a distinct and volatile form of digital engagement, necessitating a governance approach that is nuanced, principle-based, and sensitive to context. It concludes by proposing a multi-layered governance framework centered on the principles of proportionality, dignity preservation, and contextual sensitivity.
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