Escendant Ltd
Last Updated: 24/09/2025
Status: Published
This notice explains how Escendant uses artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance your memory preservation experience. Our AI processing uses different lawful bases: core AI features are necessary for our contract with you, while optional analysis and community features use legitimate interests with easy opt-out controls. Where consent is required, we request it at the point you first use the relevant feature.
Definitions
“Biometric Identification” means processing of biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying, authenticating, or verifying a natural person, including voice or facial recognition used for identity verification.
“Text-Processing Purposes” means operations performed on text content provided by, or derived from, user inputs (for example, transcriptions of audio), including analysis to attribute content to individuals within the text, tagging, organisation, search, recommendations, and similar functionality. It excludes identity verification, authentication, or other biometric identification.
AI Processing in Our Service
Our service uses AI in different ways with different lawful bases:
Core AI Processing (Contract Basis – Necessary for Service):
- AI chatbot conversations to help explore your memories
- Essential content processing for memory storage and retrieval
- Basic conversation guidance and summarization
Optional Content Analysis (Legitimate Interests – Opt-Out Available):
- Text extraction and analysis from photos and documents you upload
- Image content description and optical character recognition (OCR)
- Automatic content categorization and organization to help you find memories later
- All AI-generated results are reviewable and editable by you before being saved or shared
Voice and Audio Processing (Consent Basis – obtained when you first use voice features):
- Speech-to-text conversion for accessibility and memory creation
- Text-to-speech for voice recreation features
- Speaker separation to distinguish different speakers in multi-person recordings
- Speaker attribution using transcript analysis and conversation context (not Biometric Identification)
Community Sharing (Legitimate Interests – Opt-Out Available):
- Ability to share profile and content with other registered users
- Content is private by default; you must explicitly choose to share each item
- Easy opt-out control in Settings > Privacy > Sharing
Your Control Options
Different Controls for Different Processing Types:
Core AI Processing (Contract Basis – Required for Service):
- AI chatbot conversations essential to the service
- Essential content processing for memory storage and retrieval
- Cannot be disabled as it’s necessary for service delivery
Optional AI Analysis (Legitimate Interests – Opt-Out Available):
- Advanced content categorization and organization
- Text and image analysis for content insights
- Opt-out available in Settings > Privacy > AI Features
Voice Processing (Consent Required – requested when you first use voice features):
- Voice Input Processing: Speech-to-text conversion for memory creation
- Speaker Analysis: Speaker separation and text-based attribution in recordings (not Biometric Identification)
- Voice Recreation: Creating AI voice models for your digital legacy
Biometric Recreation (Consent Required – requested when you first use creation features):
- Face Recreation: Creating digital avatars from your photos
- Voice Recreation: Storing voice models for posthumous content
Sharing Features:
- In-App Community Sharing: Private by default with opt-out control (Legitimate Interests)
- Human Archive: Per-content explicit consent for public internet publication
Individual Control: You can enable or disable each type of AI processing independently. For example, you might consent to basic AI organization but decline voice recreation, or enable voice input but not speaker analysis.
What Happens When You Opt Out:
- Optional AI Analysis: Advanced features disabled; basic AI chatbots and essential processing continue
- Voice Processing: Text-only memory entry and manual speaker labeling
- Biometric Recreation: Standard photos and memories without AI-generated avatars or voice
- Community Sharing: Sharing features disabled; content remains private
Easy Management: Change your preferences at any time through Account Settings with separate controls for each feature type, and we will honour opt-outs promptly.
How AI Makes Decisions
Speaker Attribution: When you record conversations with multiple people, AI distinguishes speakers (speaker separation) and attributes content using transcript analysis and conversation context. We do not use Biometric Identification.
Content Categorization: AI automatically sorts your memories into topics and themes to improve organization and searchability.
Memory Connections: AI suggests relationships between different memories and experiences to help build your complete life story.
Your Rights Regarding AI Processing
You have the right to:
Withdraw Consent: Disable AI processing entirely at any time through your account settings
Human Review: Request human verification of AI identification decisions or content organization
Challenge Decisions: Correct AI mistakes in speaker identification, content categorization, or memory organization
Explanation: Understand how AI reached specific decisions about your content organization
Data Portability: Export all your memories and AI-generated organization in standard formats
AI Accuracy and Limitations
Potential Issues:
- AI identification may make errors, especially with similar voices or unclear audio
- AI summaries may not capture all nuances of your original memories
- Content categorization may not always match your personal interpretation
- Voice recreation quality depends on the amount and clarity of source audio
Continuous Improvement: AI processing improves over time through general model updates. We never use your personal content to train, retrain, or improve AI models.
Human Oversight: All AI decisions can be reviewed and corrected by humans, and you maintain complete control over your memory organization.
Data Processing Details
AI Providers: We use various AI service providers (see our sub-processor list at https://thehumanarchive.com/sub-processors) with appropriate data protection agreements and safeguards.
International Processing: AI processing may occur globally with Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) plus the UK Addendum or the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA), or adequacy where applicable, protecting your data.
Government and Law Enforcement Requests: If we receive a legally binding request from a public authority for access to personal data, we will notify you (and, where applicable, your Business Customer) unless prohibited by law, challenge overbroad or unlawful requests where reasonable, and disclose only the minimum data necessary to comply.
Data Retention: AI analysis results are stored as part of your memories, but can be deleted when you withdraw consent or delete your account.
How to Exercise Your Rights
In the App: Go to Account Settings > Privacy & Consent to manage your AI processing preferences. Initial consent prompts appear when you first use features that require them.
Email Support: Contact privacy@escendant.ai for specific requests or questions
Response Time: We respond to all AI processing enquiries within 30 days
Complaints: You can lodge complaints about AI processing with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk
Legal Basis
Our AI processing uses multiple lawful bases under UK GDPR:
- Core AI Processing: Contract necessity (Article 6(1)(b)) – essential for service delivery
- Optional AI Analysis: Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) with opt-out rights
- Voice Processing: Consent (Article 6(1)(a)) – separate toggles for different voice features
- Biometric Recreation: Consent (Article 6(1)(a)) for basic processing; explicit consent (Article 9(2)(a)) if special category data
- Community Sharing: Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) with opt-out rights
- Human Archive: Explicit consent (Article 6(1)(a)) for each publication
You can use core Escendant features without optional AI enhancements or sharing features.
Contact Information
Data Protection Officer: privacy@escendant.ai
Security Enquiries: security@escendant.ai
General Support: support@escendant.ai
Address: Escendant Offices, Blisworth Hill Farm, Stoke
Road, Blisworth, Northamptonshire, NN7 3DB
For questions about AI processing, to exercise your rights, or to withdraw consent, please contact us using the details above.
This notice is designed to give you complete transparency about how AI enhances your Escendant experience while maintaining your full control over the process.