World Law Forum Conference on Digital Legacy

In a world where digital identities outlive their owners, the World Law Forum convenes leading legal experts, AI ethicists, regulators, and technologists to confront one of the 21st century’s most pressing legal and moral dilemmas: What becomes of our digital selves after death?

Our aim is to pioneer multidimensional dialogue on how data, emerging technologies, and digital identities intersect with global law and ethics. Rooted in Berlin’s position as the heart of EU policy and innovation, this conference offers a distinct platform to shape the future of posthumous data governance, AI-generated afterlives, and cross‑border digital inheritance.

This event is designed for policymakers, legal practitioners, technologists, academics, and cultural experts interested in the evolving theory and practice of digital legacy in a digitized world.

Agenda:

– Digital Inheritance & Data Governance

– Digital Preservation Infrastructure: Avoiding Digital Decay

– Cultural Rights, Repatriation & Community Digital Sovereignty

– Generative AI, Digital Clones & Moral Rights

– Immersive Tech: VR/AR & Digital Memory Spaces

– Blockchain & Decentralized Identity for Digital Estates

– Emerging Interface Technologies: XR, BCI & Beyond

– Ethical Identity & Self‑Determination Post‑Mortem

Two-Day Program

Day 1 | Diagnose & Delve

09:00 – 09:15 | Opening

09:15 – 09:30 | Keynote: The State of Digital Legacy—Why Law Must Catch Up

9:30 – 10:30 | Panel A: GDPR & Posthumous Privacy

10:45 – 11:45 | Panel B: Inheritance Law Meets Digital Assets

11:45 – 13:15 | Lunch & Networking

13:15 – 14:15 | Workshop 1: Digital Estate Planning in Practice

14:15 – 15:15 | Panel C: AI-Driven Afterlives & Moral Rights

15:30 – 16:30 | Panel D: Cultural Perspectives on Digital Mourning

16:30 – 17:00 | Wrap up 

Day 2 | Debate & Design Solutions

09:00 – 09:30 | Recap & Day-2 Kickoff

09:30 – 10:30 | Panel E: Likeness Rights & Deepfake Risks

10:45 – 11:45 | Panel F: Future-Self Trusts & AI Clones

11:45 – 13:15 | Networking Brunch

13:15 – 15:15 | Simulation Workshop: “Drafting an International Digital Legacy Treaty”

15:30 – 16:00 | Closing & Next-Steps

16:00 – 17:00 | Networking Cocktail Reception

Registration:

TBA