Celebrities Live Forever

Celebrities Live Forever

TL;DR: Suzanne Somers has been recreated as an AI-powered humanoid robot by her husband Alan Hamel, opening up new challenges for the rights of the deceased and future content creation.

Key Points: 

• Legal Changes: There’s a growing need for laws to protect deceased celebrities from unauthorized AI recreations, with debates about a “right to be left dead.”

• Industry Impact: Studios might prefer AI talent for cost savings and perpetual use, potentially affecting living actors’ opportunities and leading to more reboots.

• Fan and Ethical Concerns: Reactions are mixed, with some finding comfort in AI interactions, while others see it as unethical or disturbing, raising questions about grief and memory.

Why It Matters: The creation of an AI-powered humanoid robot of Suzanne Somers, unveiled late last month by Hollo.ai and Realbotix in collaboration with her widower Alan Hamel, moves us closer to the world envisioned by the movie A.I. This synthetic twin, designed to mimic Somers’ voice, personality, and facial expressions, is trained on her extensive body of work, including 27 books and performances from shows like Three’s Company and Step by Step. Hamel’s intention is for this AI to appear in future projects, such as new episodes of Three’s Company, effectively “reactivating” Somers’ career posthumously.