Imaginaries of Immortality in the Age of AI

Fri 13 February

Jesus College Intellectual Forum

As digital technologies increasingly preserve our voices, images, and messages, new forms of “digital immortality” are emerging—from AI chatbots trained on the dead to virtual avatars and memory archives. These innovations raise powerful ethical, emotional, and cultural questions about how we remember, mourn, and live on.

This interdisciplinary event presents insights from Imaginaries of Immortality in the Age of AI, a major research project led by Dr Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basi?ska (University of Cambridge), based on fieldwork in Poland, India, and China between late 2024 and spring 2025. Through the project’s presentation, a short documentary, and a panel discussion, the evening explores how different cultures understand death, memory, and technology.

Guests will also experience a striking photo installation featuring portraits of participants from the project’s nine “(Im)mortality over Dinner” research gatherings. Around the table in all three locations, around 70 individuals reflected on their hopes and fears about AI and the potential for digital immortality. This event will extend these conversations and create a space for cross-cultural and transnational exchange.

Blending art, research, and conversation, the event invites everyone to reflect on a deeply personal question: what kind of digital legacy do we want to leave behind?

After the panel discussion, a free reception with wine and light refreshments will accompany an exhibition of the photo installation by artist Tomasz Siuda, curated by Dr Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basi?ska.

Cost: Free of charge