Forever

A legal sci-fi story

Daniel Gervais author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Anthem Press

Published:1st Aug '23

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Forever cover

Depicts a scenario in which technology allows humans to live forever, providing rich backdrop filled with Russian poetry and cinema, and reflections about life and death.

The idea of transferring humans into humanoid bodies has been the theme for many eminent titles. This book’s unique contribution is its exploration of the legal questions and embedded philosophical issues that flow from being able to transfer a copy of a person’s mind into a synthetic body that lives forever.

With the use of artificial intelligence (AI), the border that has traditionally separated fact, or “nonfiction,” and fiction has become increasingly porous. Think of posts on social media by bots pretending to be human, altered photos and videos, including deep fakes. Science-fiction has always held a special place in this divide; it is often the nonfiction of tomorrow. In this book, the author crosses the border in both directions, using fiction to teach the law of AI by asking the reader to follow Christine Jacobs, a law professor, and her students, in discussing what it means to be human in the age of AI, humanoid robots, and cyborgs as her boyfriend prepares the world for what’s next. Crisscrossed by world travel, peppered with fine food and wines, filled with Russian poetry and cinema, and reflections about life and death, this book invites the reader to a world in which technology allows humans to live forever—as long as they are willing to die first.

“Daniel Gervais has produced something truly new: an amalgam of science fiction and legal education that together comprise a meditation on humanity’s future in a world of pervasive and rapidly advancing artificial intelligence and robotics. Daniel’s story, which is at turns engrossing, profound, learned, funny, and profane, aims ultimately at one eternal question—what makes us human.”—Christopher Jon Sprigman, Murray and Kathleen Bring Professor of Law, Co-Director, Engelberg Center on Innovation Law and Policy, New York University School of Law, USA.


“This book is both riveting story and profound.”—The Rt. Hon. Professor Sir Robin Jacob, Faculty of Laws, University College London, UK.


“Daniel Gervais, one of the world’s leaders in the field of intellectual property, has created both a fictional approach to AI and a kind of legal casebook. This is an effective and accessible way to encounter and address crucial issues in this critical field.” —Robert Barsky, Guggenheim Fellow (2023), Professor of Humanities and Law, Vanderbilt University, USA.


Forever is a thrilling book that navigates through complex matters such as human cognition, identity issues and humanness while eloquently addressing the Law and ethics of AI in light of technological developments. This legal sci-fi story is a far-reaching title comprising a gripping narrative and insightful discussions, which would undoubtedly delight audiences in diverse fields, either as introductory AI material, a teaching resource or a science fiction novel. - The IPKat

ISBN: 9781839989124

Dimensions: 216mm x 140mm x 26mm

Weight: 454g

262 pages