DİGİTAL HERİTAGE: EXPECTATİONS AND CONCERNS

Abstract

The article analyzes approaches to managing digital heritage in different countries. China evaluates digital heritage primarily through a control-oriented framework, combining the identification of digital assets via the real-name system with a centralized management model. The European Union is still working on establishing a clear legal framework in this area. In the United States, the legal complexities of digital inheritance are specifically highlighted, emphasizing the need for a unified federal law to ensure fair and systematic access to digital assets upon death. At the same time, access to knowledge and resources for managing digital afterlife is uneven among individuals. Social and digital inequalities leave many people unprepared in this regard. Addressing this issue requires more accessible educational opportunities, user-oriented technologies, and the establishment of fair policies. Researchers suggest that artificial intelligence technologies can contribute to creating more interactive and meaningful forms of digital heritage. However, they stress that such systems must be developed in accordance with principles that respect the deceased’s personality and intentions. The article explores the concept of creating digital AI models that reflect human knowledge, memories, and experiences in the era of artificial intelligence. It raises profound philosophical and technological questions regarding life and death, examining how digital heritage can preserve and extend human presence beyond mortality.