AI is enabling new careers for deceased celebrities and millions in revenue for today’s rights holders. According to a report by Mia Dawkins for Bloomberg, the estates of stars such as James Dean, Judy Garland and others can continue to make money thanks to AI technology. For example, these celebrities are lending their voices to audiobooks and other audio content using voice cloning technology.
The possibilities range from movie appearances by deceased actors to virtual concerts by musicians who are no longer active, such as the ABBA Voyage Show. Experts like attorney Mark Roesler see great potential in AI technology for exploiting the intellectual property of deceased stars. But critics such as Jeff Jampol, who manages the estates of artists such as Janis Joplin, reject the use of AI as a “farce” and warn of potential damage to artistic heritage.