Digital Dignity Institute

White Papers & Research

Analysis, Policy Frameworks & Publications

Explore DDI's rigorous interdisciplinary research translating critical inquiry into frameworks that governments, institutions, and communities can use.

AI Afterlife EthicsWhite Paper

Silence Is Not Consent: A Framework for Posthumous AI Governance

Digital Dignity Institute Research Team

This paper advances a governance framework for AI-generated replicas of deceased individuals, arguing that the absence of explicit consent cannot be interpreted as permission to recreate, commercialize, or deploy a person's digital likeness after death. We propose a tiered consent architecture spanning pre-mortem planning, estate authority, and platform accountability.

Security & SocietyPolicy Brief

Synthetic Identity and the Erosion of Trust: Regulatory Approaches

Digital Dignity Institute Research Team

As AI enables the creation of convincing synthetic identities — false personas indistinguishable from real individuals — existing legal frameworks are inadequate. This brief examines regulatory approaches across jurisdictions and proposes minimum standards for synthetic identity disclosure, liability, and enforcement.

Work & FamilyResearch Report

Algorithmic Management and Worker Dignity: Evidence and Frameworks

Digital Dignity Institute Research Team

This report examines how AI-driven management systems — from productivity monitoring to automated scheduling and performance evaluation — affect worker dignity, autonomy, and wellbeing. Drawing on interdisciplinary evidence, we develop a framework of minimum dignity standards for AI-mediated workplaces.

GovernanceWhite Paper

Governing Autonomous Agents: Accountability Beyond Capability

Digital Dignity Institute Research Team

As AI systems gain the ability to act, communicate, and make decisions with reduced human supervision, governance frameworks must address not only what these systems can do but who remains responsible for their actions. This paper proposes a responsibility allocation framework for agentic AI across public, commercial, and personal contexts.

AI Afterlife EthicsConference Proceedings

Digital Dignity Summit 2025: Proceedings and Declarations

Digital Dignity Institute

The full proceedings of the Digital Dignity Summit Cancun 2025, including panel summaries, working group outputs, the Cancun Declaration on Digital Remains, and recommendations for international governance of posthumous AI systems.