Summary SKF uses AI to recreate Greta Garbo for an advertisement, highlighting growing debate over synthetic likenesses and technology’s impact on media.
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Swedish ball-bearings maker SKF has used artificial intelligence to recreate Hollywood star Greta Garbo for a new advertisement, reviving debate over the use of AI-generated likenesses of deceased celebrities.
SKF said the AI character was created without using Garbo’s archival photographs or footage because of copyright concerns. Developers used AI tools from ByteDance, Google and Chinese firm Kuaishou to generate the image and motion, while Garbo’s voice was recreated using audio from one of her early films, with permission.
The campaign was developed with the Greta Garbo estate and her family. AI researcher Henry Ajder described the technology as “synthetic resurrection,” while critics, including film critic Peter Bradshaw, questioned the use of AI to recreate deceased performers. Actor George Clooney has also expressed concern about the use of performers’ likenesses after their deaths.
