AI deepfakes of 1950s icon Marilyn Monroe have joined the growing list of dead celebrities being brought back from the grace for companies to continue profiting from them.
AI firm Soul Machines debuted Digital Marilyn last Friday as a "hyper-real" reincarnation of the American actress and she can hold conversations using "Marilyn's signature voice and style."
Digital Marilyn was first reported by Variety.
Digital Marilyn: How Does it Work?
According to Soul Machines, Digital Marilyn uses "advanced natural language processing, deep learning, and GPT 3.5" to offer a personalized and interactive experience with users in real-time.
The AI also stores data from Monroe's controversial but colorful life, allowing people to have it share actual anecdotes and quotes the real actress and model said when she was alive.
Greg Cross, CEO and co-founder of Soul Machines, said the resurrected AI version of Monroe brings "more than nostalgia; it's a glimpse into the future of immersive interactions."
Soul Machines was able to use Monroe for the project with permission from the Authentic Brand Group, which manages licensed rights for the actress' likeness.
Companies Using AI to Profit from Dead Celebrities
AI is currently the new gateway for many rights holders to continue profiting from dead celebrities even from beyond the grave.
Before Monroe, several icons of the past have already been seemingly brought back to life to guests in shows, specials, and as a paid service.
Among the most notable were Jimmy Stewart, Carrie Fisher, John Lennon, and Harold Ramis.
Some celebrities' likenesses, however, were used without consent or compensation from their family or rights holders, such as in the case of comedian George Carlin.
The unauthorized use of Hollywood studios and companies of dead celebrities' likenesses through AI was among the issues raised during last year's actors' guild strike.
