Three positions
Position 1
Strong autonomy view
The deceased's expressed wishes — written, recorded, or witnessed — are the only legitimate basis for cloning. Default is no clone.
Position 2
Family-stewardship view
Close family members can authorize a memorial clone for private use if no contrary wish was expressed, similar to other posthumous decisions.
Position 3
Common-cultural-good view
Public figures whose voices and ideas shaped a generation may be cloned for education and journalism with strong disclosure, even without family approval.
Best practices
- ●Default off. Require an explicit, documented authorization before generation.
- ●Limit distribution. Family-authorized clones should not be public products by default.
- ●Provide an off-ramp. Authorization must be revocable by surviving rights-holders.