Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40801076›Full record

ArticleBioethics2026

Digital Doppelgängers, Human Relationships, and Practical Identity.

Cristina Voinea, Sebastian Porsdam Mann, Julian Savulescu, Brian D Earp

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Bioethics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Digital Doppelgängers and Lifespan Extension: What Matters?The American journal of bioethics : AJOB · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Cristina VoineaUehiro Oxford Institute, University of Oxford.ORCID 0000-0003-4654-0697
Sebastian Porsdam MannCentre for Advanced Studies in Bioscience Innovation Law, University of Copenhagen.
Julian SavulescuCentre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Queenstown, Singapore.
Brian D EarpCentre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Queenstown, Singapore.

Funding

This study was funded by C.V.'s work was supported by the European Commission (Grant 101102749) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) (Grant EP/Y027973/1). S.P.M.'s work was supported, in part, by a Novo Nordisk Foundation Grant for a scientifically independent International Collaborative Bioscience Innovation & Law Programme (Inter-CeBIL programme - Grant NNF23SA0087056). J.S.'s work was supported by the Wellcome Trust (Grant 226801) for Discovery Research Platform for Transformative Inclusivity in Ethics and Humanities Research (ANTITHESES); the National Research Foundation, Singapore under its AI Singapore Programme (AISG Award no: AISG3-GV-2023-012) and by National University of Singapore under the NUS Start-Up grant; NUHSRO/2022/078/Startup/13). B.D.E.'s work was supported by NUSMed and ODPRT (NUHSRO/2024/035/Startup/04) for the project "Experimental Philosophical Bioethics and Relational Moral Psychology" with B.D.E. as PI and the National Research Foundation, Singapore under its AI Singapore Programme (AISG Award no: AISG3-GV-2023-012).Wellcome Trust 226801
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the potential effects of relationships with Large Language Model (LLM)-based digital doppelgängers (DDs) on users' values, concerns, and interests, that is, on their practical identity. DDs are artificially intelligent conversational agents trained on individuals' data to replicate their speech patterns, mannerisms, and personality traits. We start by showing that practical identity is largely defined by the relationships we find ourselves in or cultivate. Next, we discuss how DDs work and distinguish between task-specific and relational DDs, arguing that the latter are specifically created to take on the role of relational partners by imitating other people we care about. We then consider how relationships with DDs might shape individuals' practical identities, before concluding with some general thoughts regarding what we should be paying attention to before developing and deploying DDs.

Indexed as

Artificial IntelligenceCommunicationInterpersonal RelationsLanguageSocial IdentificationHumansPersonalitydigital doppelgängersgriefLLMspractical identityrelationship

Identifiers

PMID40801076
PMCPMC7618762

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.