Digital Voodoo Dolls
This addresses ethical concerns in AI and data representation for institutions and individuals, but it is incremental as it builds on existing person model concepts.
The paper introduces the concept of digital voodoo dolls as a new high-fidelity type of person model that exists beyond the control of the represented individual, and it discusses ethical issues and potential mitigations related to this lack of accountability.
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.