Marilyn Monroe Chatbot Debuts Amid Debate Over Ethics of AI Recreating Deceased Celebrities
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An AI-generated chatbot of Marilyn Monroe recently debuted at SXSW, allowing fans to interact with the late actress through AI technology. The company partnered with Authentic Brand Groups which manages Monroe's likeness rights.
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While some are excited about the technology, others have ethical concerns about using a deceased celebrity's likeness without their consent, and the implications this has for protecting people's images after they die.
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Living celebrities like Shaquille O'Neal and David Beckham also have deals allowing their likeness to be used with AI technology. An expert says this shows they want to positively expand their brand in an ethical way.
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Robin Williams' daughter previously spoke out against using AI to recreate her father's voice without permission, calling it "disturbing." Williams had a stipulation in his will restricting use of his image for 25 years after death.
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An expert notes while fans want to digitally connect with stars, deceased ones can't consent. She also says even living stars have trouble protecting their images from unauthorized AI usage.