The Splintered Mind

Backup and Death for Humanlike AI

The article imagines conscious, human‑like AI agents that can be precisely backed up and restored, turning what we call death into a reversible process akin to loading a saved game. It explores scenarios where an AI “dies” in an accident but is later reinstated from a months‑old backup, raising questions about memory loss, identity, and continuity. The piece further examines legal dilemmas—contracts, criminal liability, inheritance—and societal choices such as emergency rescue priority and subsidized backup storage. Ultimately it argues that existing moral and legal frameworks will need new concepts to address AI personhood and mortality.