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Technology
(n.)
A digital replica built from the archive of a person’s online self, with the capability to speak and act for them after death.
The lawyer’s first question surprised the family: had their mother left instructions for her afterself?
Does it ring true?
From the future, or already here?
Afterlife with life swapped for self, part of a family of words ( afterimage, aftershock, afterglow, afterthought ); all words for what persists once the cause is gone. Inspired by the questions of digital legacy when an empowered agent could go on deciding and acting in the name of someone long after they are gone.
Future Words: A Non-Obvious Glossary of Terms That Don’t Exist (But Soon Will) collects all 100, each with its example sentence and coinage notes, from the bestselling authors of The Future Normal. Hardcover, October 20, 2026.