jdeme

Jdeme is a term used primarily in speculative fiction, online writing communities, and worldbuilding exercises to denote a minimal unit of digital existence or identity. It is not a formally defined term in computer science or philosophy, and there is no broad consensus on its exact meaning. The origin of the word is unclear, having surfaced in various online discussions and stories rather than in scholarly publications.

In common usage within fiction and collaborative worldbuilding, a jdeme can refer to a digital avatar, a data-identity, or an autonomous software entity that preserves some continuity of personality or memory when copied or migrated between systems. Jdeme concepts are often employed to explore questions of self, persistence, the ethics of copying minds, and the boundaries between personhood and software.

In narrative contexts, jdeme may be depicted as capable of uploading, cloning, or transferring across hardware and networks, sometimes with constraints such as bandwidth, privacy, or legal rights. Critics of the concept note that jdeme is a flexible trope, and its specifics are intentionally underspecified to serve as a thought experiment rather than a defined technology.

See also: digital identity, mind uploading, digital avatar, data sovereignty.