His Name, Their Judgment: Expert Authority in Posthumous Persona AI

Hanjing Shi; Dominic DiFranzo

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arXiv · 2609.32989

His Name, Their Judgment: Expert Authority in Posthumous Persona AI

Hanjing Shi·Dominic DiFranzo

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Abstract

Persona AI can make deceased experts available for decisions they never encountered. Users may seek these personas precisely because they lack the knowledge needed to judge their advice. We thematically analyze 115 focal RedNote/Xiaohongshu posts and a nested comment sample concerning unofficial personas of Chinese education advisor Zhang Xuefeng. An installation offer promised expert guidance, while a family's reported use required current records and contextual judgment. Other posts positioned the persona as a questioning aid rather than an expert replacement. Commenters connected continued expertise to updating, permission, and the ability to refuse further work. These findings distinguish access to an expert identity from access to professional help. Keeping the persona current puts living actors in control of what the deceased appears to recommend. Operators therefore need to undertake the support promised by the persona while making their continued use of the person's identity open to challenge.

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Hanjing Shi, Dominic DiFranzo. 2026-09-26. His Name, Their Judgment: Expert Authority in Posthumous Persona AI. https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.32989

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