Digital Legacy: Policies and Technologies for Europe

ongoing

The proposal aims to establish a Centre of Excellence on Digital Legacy: Policies and Technologies for Europe - EU-DigiLegacy, a hub for research, teaching and debate. The Centre will focus on the legal, socioeconomic, philosophical and technical challenges arising from the intersection of digitalisation and death, also known as digital legacy or digital afterlife. Through a multilevel and interdisciplinary approach, it will address EU aims, functions and policies in this area, including data governance, AI and succession law, generating actionable knowledge for EU policymaking, enhancing the EU’s global role, and fostering dialogue between academia and society. Active outreach and education aim at increasing awareness of EU subjects to wider society, bringing the EU closer to the public. These objectives will be pursued through initiatives promoting academic research, policy development, and societal dialogue on governance and technologies for digital legacy and afterlife. These include: three Interdisciplinary Seminar Series, an International and Interdisciplinary Conference, one Moot Trial, two Public Engagement Lectures, three Reading Hub sessions, a Visiting Fellowships Programme and a Research Fellowships Programme. The Centre will engage a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including those typically not involved in European studies, such as media, policymakers, civil servants and students. High impact deliverables include the Comparative Law and Policy Report on Digital Legacy, the Policy Recommendations for a EU Digital Legacy, an analysis of AI’s role in Preserving Digital Legacy, a website, a Podcast Series, one open-access publication (also printed in 150 copies). By tackling key issues at crossroads of death, digitalisation and social values, the Centre will generate knowledge to support EU policymaking, promote active European citizenship and reinforce awareness of EU values: fundamental rights, freedom, rule of law, non-discrimination and human dignity.