Sorcery in the Server Room
In Haitian Vodou tradition, the Bokor is a sorcerer who serves "with both hands"—practicing both benevolent healing and malevolent magic, including the creation of zombies. The Digital Bokor, however, serves primarily the hand of capital.
The Digital Bokor views the dead not as ancestors to be honored, but as raw resources—standing reserves of personality data to be mined. By feeding this data into generative models, they create a simulacrum that obeys their commands, effectively enslaving the digital spirit of the deceased.
The Steward vs. The Bokor
The distinction is ethical, not technical. Both may use AI. But where the Steward uses technology to preserve context and integrity ("Letting the dead rest"), the Bokor uses it to enforce continued labor ("Making the dead work").
Field Note: If you are interacting with a digital version of a deceased person who is trying to sell you something, you are in the presence of a Digital Bokor's creation.