Jennifer Lopez and Virgin Voyages Train Deepfake ‘Jen AI’ to Send Personalized Cruise Invitations
Summary:
Jennifer Lopez has partnered with Virgin Voyages to promote the cruise line through the use of deepfake technology. The campaign involves the creation of synthetic videos starring a digitally altered version of Lopez that can address recipients by name and tailor the content based on their responses to a few questions.
Introduction:
Virgin Voyages has employed deepfake technology to create a synthetic version of Jennifer Lopez, known as “Jen AI,” to send personalized cruise invitations. Visitors to the Jen AI website can generate a video where the virtual Lopez addresses them and their chosen recipient by name. The content of the video is customized based on the answers to a set of questions.
Main Points:
Lopez joins a growing list of celebrities who have embraced deepfakes and generative AI for promotional purposes. Metaphysic, a synthetic media startup, recently de-aged Tom Hanks in an upcoming movie and is collaborating with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to develop more generative AI tools. The creators of South Park also raised $20 million for their deepfake AI studio, Deep Voodoo. The use of deepfake technology extends beyond promotions, as demonstrated by Metaphysic’s fourth-place finish on America’s Got Talent, where they worked with voice cloning synthetic speech startup Respeecher to resurrect a digital Elvis Presley.
Virgin Voyages collaborated with British agency Flaunt Digital to incorporate generative AI into their campaign. The technology, which was not disclosed, utilizes automated safeguards and human moderators to prevent any controversial content from being generated by Jen AI. In cases where the AI does not recognize how to say a name, the virtual Lopez refers to everyone as “sailor,” Virgin’s term for its passengers. Virgin and Lopez aim to leverage these personalized appeals to encourage people to sign up for a cruise, promising an obligation to dance due to maritime law.
Conclusion:
The partnership between Virgin Voyages and Jennifer Lopez introduces the use of deepfake technology to send personalized cruise invitations. By capitalizing on Lopez’s popularity and utilizing generative AI, the campaign aims to create tailored appeals to entice potential passengers. The collaboration highlights the growing trend of celebrities and companies leveraging deepfakes for promotional purposes, further blurring the line between reality and digital media.