Necro-Capitalism, Archaeobytology and the Zombie Byte: The Ethics of Digital Resurrection and the Right to Rest

Abstract:

This paper introduces Necro-Capitalism as the systematic extraction of economic value from digital remains. The digital afterlife industry, projected to reach $80 billion within a decade, deploys AI systems to reanimate the dead through "thanabots," voice cloning, and postmortem avatars. Operating without meaningful consent frameworks, the industry exploits grief through subscription models and platform architectures characteristic of digital commons Enshittification. Drawing on Archaeobytology's artifact taxonomy, we introduce the Zombie Byte: AI-reanimated data forced to simulate life without possessing the contextual integrity that distinguishes living heritage (Vivibyte) from suspended artifact (Umbrabyte). The Right to Rest principle holds that archives must remain static and finite to retain meaning. Finitude creates meaning; extending a corpus through generation erases the choices that defined it. The Right to Rest Protocol establishes seven principles for ethical stewardship of digital remains, opposing reanimation while supporting preservation. The protocol aims to distinguish verified provenance from fabrication, protecting both the dignity of the dead and the psychological vulnerability of the bereaved. Necro-Capitalism violates the relationship between living and dead; and resistance requires tools that honor archives as found, rather than forcing them to produce.

Keywords: Necro-Capitalism, Zombie Byte, Right to Rest, Digital Afterlife Industry, Thanabots, Deadbots, Griefbots, Archaeobytology, Vivibyte, Umbrabyte, Petribyte, Nullibyte, Platform Capitalism, Enshittification, Digital Remains, Posthumous Consent, Digital Ethics, AI Ethics, Generative AI, Bereavement Technology, Grief Exploitation, Digital Stewardship, Finitude, Creative Industries, Voice Cloning, Postmortem Avatars, Digital Heritage, Archive Theory, Anti-Fabrication Vow, Cognitive Hygiene, Right to Rest Protocol