Digital Immortality: How AI Is Reshaping the Legacy of Legendary Celebrities

They’re national treasures. They’re global icons. They’re never going to be forgotten. But they’re going to leave us very soon...so what will happen next?

Willkommen! Bienvenue! Welcome!

Alright Del Boy’s, Rodney’s and Cassandra’s. It felt apt. Apologies for the WILD styling in the above image with David Jason.

Now, we all have icons we adore. You know, celebrities or inspirations that have, quite simply, been there throughout our entire lives. They’re pictured everywhere, their songs at the top of the charts, we’ve been to see them perform and generally we can’t imagine life without them. They’re just there. Always.

But guess what? We all have mortality to deal with and they’re all going to die -and SOON. So much so that it’s freaking me out.

This week I felt like I was continually being shocked to the core. David Attenborough’s last documentary, Ocean with David Attenborough, has just been released and he turned 99 this week. Joanna Lumley came out in an interview saying she felt like she didn’t have much time left. Then you have Judi Dench not being able to leave the house because her vision has gotten so bad.

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

When any of these legends die it will be the saddest of days. Like, traumatic. Bereft. What the hell will we all do?

It got me thinking about the genre of ‘celebrity’ and what’s going to happen when the ‘biggies’ start to pop their clogs. It feels slightly like it’ll be the end of a golden era of talent and artistry being at the forefront of our household names.

For example, aside from the likes of Sheridan Smith, Jimmy Nesbitt and Sarah Lancashire who will the big legends of the showbiz world be next? Some twerp off Love Island? I hope not. But seriously, who will the next generation of legends be? And what will their jobs be?

I can’t stop thinking about the fact we are about to lose a plethora of legendary talent. Liza Minnelli. Tick. David Jason. Tick. Cliff Richard. Tick. Harrison Ford. Tick. Al Pacino. Tick. Dolly Parton. Tick. Barbra Streisand. Tick. Elton John. Tick. Barry Manilow. Tick. They’re all, very sadly may I add, on the way out soon. And what the bloody ‘ell do we do after they go? For somebody like me who is obsessed with the starry lights of showbusiness and a day-and-age when artists had huge talent this is an anxiety driving exercise thinking about the mass exodus approaching the showbiz world.

I’ve been deep diving on what the future will hold for the next generation of legends. Like, who will we be celebrating in the future in the grandiose way we’ve bowed down to the above list of legends? And I’m stumped.

I can’t imagine us celebrating the likes of Pixie Lott, Louise Redknapp, Tess Daly and Steps in the 2050s. Or will we? I guess Beyonce, Taylor, Sabrina, Harry and Sheeran might be the next generation of superstardomers.

My personal thought is that actors, musicians and artists like close-to-the-end stellar crop mentioned above, will live on forever thanks to technology.

Surely, the rise and rise of AI means we will have our current legends around forever?

I went to see the ABBA show in east London a year or so ago and genuinely cried at the end because I felt like the band were in the room. Sure, I get the fact they’re still alive, but they won’t ever perform again.

We’ve seen holograms from people like Jacko and Whitney, there are biopics on the lives of various singers all the time and, to be frank, we are continually seeing the epic work of musical legends rehashed for a modern-day audience. So, will a music artist ever truly die? In physical form, sure. But in 2025 it’s completely tangible that a legend can (and probably will) live on forever.

Now, I’m completely open to watching artists perform in an ABBA way with technology. After my Queen Madonna passes, I’d LOVE the thought of her releasing a hologram version of the Blonde Ambition tour with ‘Madonna’ performing. Maybe technological advances will mean we will be able to go to a full-sized concert in a stadium to watch a concert that was performed decades earlier? I’d pay to see many infamous concerts again even if it was a hologram. If it made you feel like the artist was there then I’d be game.

Where I’d have a problem with technology bringing a singer or artist back to life is when their likeness is used for a new role or a new song or a new moment in their life. You know, imagine they do a new Grease film, and they bring Olivia Newton-John back from the dead to perform as Sandy, but they age her as if she was actually alive and it’s a whole new role. That would be a firm no.

I can just about cope with music artists coming back from the dead but only when said artist had laid down a vocal before they died. Ala Whitney and Higher Love.

Now, I’m sure there are some people who would just love anything from say Elvis to be released even if it was made with AI and the man himself had nothing to do with it at all. I mean, surely, we’ll get to the point where there’s an Elvis sings for Christmas album of completely fresh material and songs. Songs that would literally make him turn in his grave.

The reality? The estate that ends up owning the rights to their artist need to be incredibly respectful of the deceased’s talent. Especially with AI. It spins me out just thinking about what technological advances are going to allow us to do. Genuinely terrifying stuff.

I know singers, actors, models and TV presenters who are constantly scared of time running out. They worry about taking a break. They worry if they stop their star will wane. They fear they won’t have enough time to achieve all the dreams they want to achieve. Maybe, just maybe, they might be able to take a break and not stress. Because they could line up their ‘afterlife’ for the second wave of their professional career. Sounds crazy, but it’s genuinely possible they could potentially do that.

Recently I read about pop superstar Ed Sheeran’s plans for the end of his career. Giving him credit, he’s always said he was going to retire and stop after ten albums after being inspired by film director Quentin Taratino’s plans for wrapping up after directing ten films.

Firstly, I can’t imagine he (or Quentin) will ever do that. Surely, if there’s music he wants to release he’ll do it anyway? But I do find the concept brilliant, and he has five left to release before the ‘end’. He’s just releasing Play. Then he’d said the next plans for albums were Pause, Fast Forward, Rewind, Stop and supposedly Eject posthumously.

Maybe with where we are with technology right now the whole industry is looking for their Eject album or career moment? What do you think?

PS. I genuinely can’t even contemplate the day Madonna dies. So, I’m not deep diving on that scenario.

P.P.S. I looked at Chat GPT after hearing so much about it. It’s alarming how effective it is. I asked it to explain digital immortality with legendary celebrities and THIS came back. Holy moly. In like ten seconds. It would have taken me a full day to research, write, edit and post this.

Times a changin’ gang….

“In an era where artificial intelligence and digital technology are advancing rapidly, the concept of death, especially for legendary celebrities, is being redefined. Through AI-generated deepfakes, voice cloning, and holographic representations, deceased icons are reappearing in films, advertisements, and even interactive media, blurring the lines between life and digital afterlife.

“Companies like CMG Worldwide manage the estates of over 3,000 deceased personalities, including Albert Einstein and Rosa Parks, leveraging AI and holographic technologies to preserve and monetize their legacies. While some view this as a means to honor and remember these figures, others raise concerns about the ethical implications of such digital resurrections.

“The use of AI to recreate voices and likenesses has sparked debates within the entertainment industry. For instance, Sheryl Crow criticized Drake for using AI-generated vocals of Tupac Shakur in a song, calling it disrespectful and unethical. Similarly, the families of late celebrities like Coco Lee and Qiao Renliang have expressed discomfort over AI-generated videos produced without their consent, highlighting the emotional toll and potential infringement on personality rights.

“Legislators are beginning to address these concerns. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom signed laws to protect actors from unauthorized digital reproductions, allowing heirs to sue for unauthorized digital replicas of deceased individuals.

“As technology continues to evolve, society faces complex questions: Can a digital facsimile truly capture the essence of a person? Where do we draw the line between tribute and exploitation? While AI offers innovative ways to celebrate and remember cultural icons, it also challenges our perceptions of mortality, legacy, and authenticity in the digital age.”

AND FINALLY…

Leave a comment for me – who would you want to return from the dead and for what reason? TELL ME MORE, TELL ME MORE!