Dr. Elder is an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Philosophy Department Chair, and she publishes on issues involving technology and interpersonal relationships, drawing on historical philosophical traditions.
"Our college's mission to model and facilitate facing our ever changing world with curiosity and integrity is exemplified by research like Dr. Elders," said Jeanine Weekes Schroer, associate dean of CAHSS. "While digital ghosts are among the most contentious instances of psycho-social involvement with technology, it is only one such instance. Many people use chatbots for pep talks, advice, companionship, even fully-fledged emotional relationships. Dr. Elder’s analysis introduces an array of ethical and conceptual tools for how we should think about and manage these kinds of relationships for ourselves and for our loved ones."
Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are enabling the construction of “digital ghosts”: algorithmic reconstructions of deceased individuals based on patterns of interaction in their text messages, social media posts, and other personal data. Elder’s new book; The Ethics of Digital Ghosts: Confucian, Mohist, and Zhuangist Perspectives on AI and Death develops an ethics of digital ghosts using resources from classical Chinese philosophy.