A digitally-manipulated Fred Astaire appeared in a Dirt Devil commercial in 1997, a decade after the entertainer died. As researchers raise the alarm about the potential commercial exploitation of AI deadbots, they point out that the deceased have been promoting products on screen for decades. YouTube/Screenshot by NPR
YouTube/Screenshot by NPR
AI avatars of deceased people – or “deadbots” – are showing up in new and unexpected contexts, including ones where they have the power to persuade.
They’re giving interviews advocating for tougher gun laws, such as when the family of Joaquin Oliver, a victim of the 2018 Parkland school