Digital Immortality: Maurice Blanchot’s Right to Death in the Era of Artificial Intelligence
Sanjay Kaushal
Economic & Political Weekly February 20, 2026 DOI: 10.71279/epw.v60i46.38630 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Maurice Blanchot's philosophy, especially his stance on the right to death, offers a framework for confronting artificial intelligence, which the authors cast as the Other that challenges notions of consciousness. They contend that digital immortality and AI-generated narratives raise ethical and metaphysical questions about identity, authorship, and existence, and that humans are responsible for shaping the narratives that define collective life. |
Abstract
In an era entwined with artificial intelligence, this article navigates the profound intersection of Maurice Blanchot’s philosophy and the advent of AI, contemplating the implications for life, death, and existence. The exploration begins with Blanchot’s radical stance on the right to death, transcending mortality in his works. In the age of AI, echoes of human existence resonate in digital footprints, algorithms, and data trails. AI becomes the Other, challenging our understanding of consciousness, while digital immortality prompts ethical questions about preserving identity in the digital afterlife. Literary echoes in AI narratives blur authorship boundaries, reshaping storytelling. Blanchot’s inquiries resonate in this existential landscape, urging us to critically engage with the ethical and metaphysical dimensions of our technological creations. The article concludes by emphasizing our responsibility in actively shaping narratives that define collective existence, echoing Blanchot’s call for profound self-discovery in a world where the human and artificial intertwine.