Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality in Virtual Autopsy: Religious Bioethics and the Future of Death Investigation

Artificial intelligence and augmented reality are transforming healthcare technologies, including the development of virtual autopsy systems that reconstruct the human body using high-resolution imaging and three-dimensional visualization. While these technologies may reduce the need for invasive postmortem examinations, they also introduce new bioethical questions concerning bodily integrity, digital representation, and the moral status of postmortem data. This paper examines how religious ethical traditions—including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shamanism—interpret emerging technological practices surrounding death investigation. Some religious communities may view virtual autopsy technologies as more acceptable alternatives to invasive procedures because they preserve bodily integrity. However, AI-generated digital reconstructions of the deceased body raise new ethical concerns about postmortem dignity, privacy, and the governance of digital bodily data. Drawing on perspectives from religious bioethics, this paper argues that religious traditions provide important ethical resources for addressing emerging questions about death, technology, and the future of healthcare.