Digital Voodoo Dolls

TL;DR

The paper introduces the concept of digital voodoo dolls, high-fidelity person models that operate independently of the individual, raising ethical concerns about accountability and control.

Contribution

It conceptualizes digital voodoo dolls, compares them with existing person models, and discusses ethical issues and mitigation strategies.

Findings

Digital voodoo dolls are independent of the person they represent.

They pose significant ethical challenges regarding accountability.

Mitigation strategies for ethical concerns are proposed.

Abstract

An institution, be it a body of government, commercial enterprise, or a service, cannot interact directly with a person. Instead, a model is created to represent us. We argue the existence of a new high-fidelity type of person model which we call a digital voodoo doll. We conceptualize it and compare its features with existing models of persons. Digital voodoo dolls are distinguished by existing completely beyond the influence and control of the person they represent. We discuss the ethical issues that such a lack of accountability creates and argue how these concerns can be mitigated.