Artist Conceives Algorithm To Divvy Up Our Possessions When We Die

This might settle a few family disputes.

Artist Sures Kumar created a project imagining an algorithm that determined where your possessions go after you pass away, according to Fast Co. Design.

The algorithm called "Beyond Blood," would be used in intestacy, a situation in which there is no will and the state has to distribute the deceased's property.

In a video, Kumar demonstrates how "Beyond Blood" would work, using the sapphire necklace in the movie "Aviator" as an example. (In real life, Howard Hughes didn't have a will and his $2.5 billion estate was split between 22 cousins who he "never liked.")

According to the video, the algorithm would track and sense human interactions throughout the years to determine beneficiaries down the line.

For simplicity's sake, the video focuses on the qualities of intention, emotional attachment, and use value. Kumar writes, "In an actual working model, there will be hundreds of parameters to judge an object."

It would then be up to the government to determine which quality takes precedence. .

"With the ubiquitous computing becoming more affordable, I want my audience to think about a possible world where objects can tell us more about their relationship with people than the very people involved," Kumar told Co.Design. "The project also aims to question the use of algorithms in emotional and ethical situations."

See how it works below:

Beyond Blood from Sures Kumar TS on Vimeo.