Will We Soon Be Able to Have Our Own AI Versions of Celebrities?

Joan is Awful, Black Mirror. Image: Netflix

Black Mirror has been prescient about several dystopian technology upgrades over the years, with many of its predictions coming true. One of its wildest visions was in Joan Is Awful, when it came up with the idea of Hollywood stars selling their likeness to be used in a range of AI-produced television shows.

A few years ago, this still seemed sufficiently farfetched. Now, though, it’s becoming a real possibility. Thanks to advancements in AI, it may soon be possible for people to hire AI versions of their favourite celebrities.

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A New Era of Fan Experience

Throughout history, as new technology has emerged, celebrities have leveraged it to connect with a greater fan base. Before the internet, stars conducted magazine interviews to give people a taste of what they were really like. That evolved with the internet, with social media sites like Instagram enabling celebrities to produce video content to reach their target audience more spontaneously.

Artificial intelligence should usher in a new era of fan interaction, allowing people to get closer to their favourite stars than ever before. That’s because it could replicate popular stars – with their consent, of course – and allow people to interact with them online as if they were talking to the real person.

Developers on the internet have long been striving to enhance the offerings of real-world connection available to people online. This can mainly be seen in live-streaming content, where viewers may interact directly with their favourite influencers. It’s also huge in the online casino industry, where games like Jumanji: The Bonus Level and MGM Grand Roulette come with real-world dealers. This helps to create the impression that players are playing in a real-world casino, and allows for greater interactivity.

The next upgrade to this could be to allow people to select their favourite celebrity as their online personal assistant or host when they enter entertainment sites. It would give everyone the opportunity to meet their idols, without the stars themselves having to put in any extra work.

The Tech Behind the Fantasy

The idea of celebrities’ likenesses effectively being photocopied and distributed to millions of fans is no longer a fantasy. There has already been a vast amount of progression in developing AI tools that can replicate various aspects of humans. For example, ElevenLabs has developed systems for voice synthesis, while offerings like D-ID have become quite adept at facial animation.

There have already been some forays into offering AI versions of celebrities. For example, Meta launched an array of AI characters in 2023, which were based on famous faces such as Tom Brady and Snoop Dogg. On top of this, some companies like Replika are offering customisable chatbot companions, suggesting that there’s likely to be a big market for these. As the technology advances, these existing programmes could be merged with other platforms, such as holograms or XR devices that allow people to see their idols in their everyday settings.

There’s a strong chance that many celebrities will object to the idea of having their likeness replicated infinitely using AI. However, for some, it will represent a great opportunity to reach a wider fan base. This new trend could easily happen in the next few years, and may completely transform the entertainment industry.