Elvis Presley is returning to the stage with the power of Artificial Intelligence, and fans can’t help but compare the scenario with dystopian overtones as if the situation was something right out of Blade Runner 2049.
The show will begin in London, featuring a holographic Elvis. It is produced using equipment facilitated by Layered Reality, which is a UK-based company that specializes in immersive experiences through tech and AI. They have also been the company behind such productions as Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience and The Gunpowder Plot.
Also Read: Taylor Swift Fans are Not Ready to Hear She Didn’t Actually Beat Elvis: Here’s How
Fans are not happy with ‘Elvis Evolution‘
The event, termed Elvis Evolution, has gotten fans comparing it to scenes right out of dystopian fiction, likening it to something out of Blade Runner 2049. The online discourse around the use of AI in art has been largely negative, given that it is making it difficult for new artists to be recognized. Fans, however, find this particular development quite annoying.
well thats disturbing
— samy 💋 (@WTFCHARLl) January 4, 2024
I know people aren’t ready to pay 100s to see an AI Elvis perform… might as well go and see an impersonator 💀
— steven ❀ (@arianaunext) January 4, 2024
Let the man rest omg 😭
— steven ❀ (@arianaunext) January 4, 2024
They tried bringing back Prince for 2018 Super Bowl and nobody like that. Why do people think people are gonna like AI Elvis Presley? pic.twitter.com/JIXjgaMXCT
— Ayman (@GuyWhoConquers) January 4, 2024
Wasn’t this literally a scene in Blade Runner 2049 LMFAOO https://t.co/KXKF0JKQN1
— Nicholas (@NicholasPas5) January 5, 2024
This particular development has added itself to the rising problem that fans are having with the appropriation of dead celebrity’s likenesses for entertainment. A part of the actor’s string in 2023 wished to address this particular issue. It is yet to be seen how Elvis’s estate will deal with this, owing to the negative reactions that have been posted on social media by fans.
There is a wider problem with AI and entertainment
While artificial intelligence has helped the entertainment industry in more than a few ways, it has become a concern for artists at large. A lot of points in both the writers’ and actors’ strikes specifically talked about artificial intelligence and the impact it had on their jobs. While there have been some very potent uses of AI (such as the above-pictured young Luke Skywalker from The Mandalorian), there have also been concerns about AI producing music, which could make it harder for new talent to be discovered by audiences.
As fans also turn against the use of AI in entertainment, it becomes easier for new artists to make their case to execs, who might turn to AI to decrease the production cost of any given project. However, it still seems that AI might be able to deliver or help construct, performances from long-dead greats, which again puts new and upcoming talent in danger.
