AI Celebrities: Because Even Stars Need a Digital Stunt Double
Executive Bullet Points
- Celebrities are leveraging AI to gain greater control over their images in marketing campaigns, also affording them the ability to make more varied deals with brands.
- AI-driven celebrity likenesses open new possibilities in advertising, including de-aging celebrities, staging impossible feats, and enabling real-time interaction with customers.
- Despite the advantages, AI celebrity replicas present novel challenges in legal ownership and risk management, necessitating standards for verification to protect celebrities and consumers alike.
In the past, a celebrity's likeness was often rigidly controlled by the brands they represented, with limited flexibility regarding their use. However, the advent of AI technology is flipping this dynamic on its head. As Tom Graham, the chief executive of AI startup Metaphysic, succinctly put it, celebrities “get paid, but they don’t have to turn up,” (June 18, 2023). All it takes is a brief visit to a 3D scanning studio and, in return, a virtual representation can be created that offers endless hours of content.
AI's capabilities don't just stop at freeing up celebrities' schedules, though. Brands now have the unprecedented opportunity to manipulate celebrities' digital duplicates in ways previously unimaginable. For instance, they can de-age celebrities, stage impossible feats, and facilitate spontaneous conversations between stars and consumers. An example of this was Puma's use of Neymar’s digital double at the New York Fashion Week in 2023, allowing the soccer star to showcase the brand's new fashions virtually, bypassing the constraints of time and space.
However, for all the exciting possibilities, the emergence of AI celebrity replicas also introduces an array of fresh challenges, particularly in the realms of legal ownership and risk management. For instance, while brands may revel in the increased control offered by AI avatars, there’s also a trade-off in the form of new reputational risks.
Concerns arise around the potential for AI-generated conversations to go off script, leading to potential public relations disasters. Erica Rogers, an intellectual-property attorney at law firm Ward & Smith, addresses this, stating, “From a brand’s perspective, what you’re really concerned about is a lack of control” (June 18, 2023). She raises a crucial question: Is the benefit worth the risk?
The technology behind these digital celebrities is complex. Soul Machines, an AI company, takes measures to ensure their AI celebrities stay on-brand and don't make potentially offensive remarks. Greg Cross, Soul Machines CEO, states that the algorithms that power these AI versions of celebrities such as NBA star Carmelo Anthony and golf legend Jack Nicklaus draw on hundreds of hours of interviews to mimic their vocal affectations and responses (June 18, 2023). However, it is not entirely foolproof.
Determining legal ownership of AI-generated likenesses is another challenge that the tech, marketing, and entertainment industries must grapple with. While brands and celebrities revel in the potential of AI likenesses, the question remains: Who really owns these AI-generated images?
This conundrum led to AI startups like Human & Digital (Hand) developing unique identifiers for each person's likeness, referred to as a talent ID. Hand’s CEO, Will Kreth, believes this could help distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate uses of someone’s likeness (June 18, 2023).
Additionally, Tom Graham of Metaphysic has taken a significant step by applying for what he believes to be the first copyright for an AI-generated likeness - his own. He justifies this by stating, “In the next couple of years, it will be possible for regular people to create a photorealistic version of somebody else. Our laws, regulations, etc., don’t really accommodate this new possibility” (June 18, 2023).
His statement underscores the pressing need for regulations to catch up with the rapid advancements in AI technology. Indeed, setting clearer ownership standards would allow celebrities and everyday citizens to more easily file takedown requests or legal actions if their likenesses are used without their consent.
Yet, even as the industry works to hammer out these legal and ethical issues, the use of AI-generated celebrity images is accelerating. Supermodel Eva Herzigova recently unveiled a virtual version of herself that can walk the runway in online fashion shows, and the virtual version's ownership rests with her and her agency, rather than a brand or photography studio (June 18, 2023).
This trend reflects a shift in power dynamics in the industry. Instead of brands owning the rights to a celebrity’s image, stars and their representatives are beginning to leverage their digital avatars to retain greater control over their image and likeness. This doesn’t just impact celebrities, though. As AI technologies become more widespread and accessible, ordinary individuals will also need to consider how they manage their own digital identities.
Moreover, the convergence of AI and celebrity culture isn’t limited to fashion and sports. The film industry is also seeing Hollywood talent agencies partnering with AI companies like Metaphysic and Soul Machines to better understand the potentials and pitfalls of AI in their line of work. Even film directors are turning to AI, with Robert Zemeckis signing Metaphysic on to provide AI services for a forthcoming film starring Tom Hanks (June 18, 2023).
However, while AI's role in the celebrity world opens doors to exciting new opportunities, it also raises the issue of potential confusion among consumers. Some people might mistake the virtual versions of celebrities for real images or videos of these individuals. This concern is yet to be fully addressed, underscoring the complexities of navigating this new frontier.
As Gavin Myall of Unsigned Group notes, “I think it all needs to be discussed,” (June 18, 2023). He encapsulates the sentiment of many: AI technology, with all its possibilities and challenges, can seem like “a scary new world.”
The future is here, and it’s virtually unrecognizable. Celebrities are no longer merely the inhabitants of the glossy pages of magazines or our television screens. They have burst forth into the digital realm, becoming AI avatars that continue to entertain, interact, and influence in ways we're still learning to understand.
Summary (250 words)
In a new era where artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly intertwined with everyday life, celebrities are harnessing this technology to retain greater control over their own images. With AI, stars are digitally replicated, which allows them to appear in marketing campaigns without physically being present. These AI-generated avatars offer a multitude of possibilities for brands, including de-aging celebrities, demonstrating impossible feats, or providing real-time interaction with customers.
AI start-ups like Metaphysic have enabled stars to take part in this revolution by simply stepping into a 3D scanner for a few minutes, resulting in a digital replica that can be used for countless hours of content. International soccer star Neymar, for example, made his virtual debut during New York Fashion Week as a 3D avatar created by the MetaHuman app. The event was held in conjunction with Puma's new product line reveal.
However, along with the innovative possibilities come significant challenges and questions about ownership, reputation, and the potential misuse of these AI avatars. Intellectual-property attorney Erica Rogers emphasized these concerns, calling for the establishment of standard verification procedures to protect both celebrities and consumers. As a testament to these hurdles, Metaphysic's CEO, Tom Graham, has attempted to copyright an AI-generated likeness: his own.
"In the next couple of years, it will be possible for regular people to create a photorealistic version of somebody else. Our laws, regulations, etc., don’t really accommodate this new possibility," says Graham (June 18, 2023).
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| Sources | Date |
|---|---|
| Wall Street Journal: "Celebrities Use AI to Take Control of Their Own Images" | June 18, 2023 |
Tweet: "AI-powered celebrity replicas are revolutionizing marketing. Stars gain more control, and brands gain more flexibility, but the road to AI stardom also brings fresh legal and ethical questions. Stay tuned! #AI #celebritymarketing #futureofadvertising"
LinkedIn Post Introduction: "Artificial intelligence is making its mark on the world of celebrity marketing. Celebrities are using AI to take control of their images, allowing them to appear in campaigns in ways never before possible. But this exciting new frontier also introduces a host of new challenges, from legal issues of ownership to ethical concerns over potential misuse. Read on to discover the good, the bad, and the fascinating of this trend."
Keyword List: Artificial Intelligence, AI, Celebrities, Digital Replicas, Marketing, Advertising, Brands, Image Rights, Legal Challenges, Ethical Concerns, Endorsements, Celebrity Control, AI-powered Celebrity Likeness, Verification Standards
Ideal Image Description: An image showcasing a real-life celebrity juxtaposed with their AI-generated counterpart. They should be engaged in the same action - perhaps attending a virtual event or advertising a product - highlighting the lifelike quality of the AI duplicate.
Search Question: "How is AI transforming celebrity endorsements and marketing strategies?"
Title: "AI Celebrities: The Next Big Thing in Marketing and Its Challenges"
Funny Tagline: "AI Celebrities: Because Even Stars Need a Digital Stunt Double!"
Song Suggestion: "Mirror" by Justin Timberlake - the song's theme of reflection and duality matches the theme of celebrities and their digital doubles.
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