This is a common trope is science fiction. It depends on a concept that the memories/thought processes (often referred to as engrams) make the person. There have been a number of approaches to this in fiction.
1. A machine/entity which is programmed with the engrams becomes a copy of the person. Such a machine/entity may or may not be alive, but will act and think exactly like the original; at least until the disparate experiences after the upload cause accumulated differences.
2. A machine/entity programmed with the engrams is the original. In this approach the belief is that the engrams are the totality of the person. If the person dies, they live on in the programmed machine/entity. The machine/entity is alive and contains the soul (if you believe in souls) of the orginal.
3. A machine/entity programmed with the engrams only contains those memories and can access them as a computer would. The person is not copied or continues to exist. In this approach the engrams are merely data. Like a book or computer they can be accessed, replayed, or studied, but they are no more alive than a book or computer.
4. A machine/entity programmed with the engrams uses those engrams as a base, but is not, and never was/will be, the original. The Wonder Man/Vision connection in Marvel comics (not the films) is of this type.
Star Trek as chosen number 2 above. In their view Picard is not, and never was, dead. (We'll ignore for the moment the episode "Tapestry"). His consciousness, his soul, is simply moved to the android body and it is no different than any other prosthetic in determining his humanity.
Now, I personally don't believe in any of the concepts of the person living on. When the body dies, the person dies. Someone/something programmed with memory engrams is merely a copy. They may, or may not, be alive. But if alive, theyi are a different person, just one that has the original's memories.
(Post to be continued)
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