Genies, a Los Angeles company that builds digital avatars, has signed a deal with United Talent Agency. Under it, UTA's clients will be able to make AI versions of themselves, modelled on their likeness, personality and life experiences, which can talk with fans online.
“Every single thing on Earth is gonna have an AI personality, whether it’s an AI agent, an AI celebrity, an AI companion, an AI customer service.”
Akash Nigam, founder and CEO of Genies, to Bloomberg · bloomberg.com ↗
Will Ferrell, Kylie Minogue and Bad Bunny are among the clients named. The financial terms were not disclosed, and neither a launch date nor a list of participating clients has been given. Genies has raised $200 million, with backers that include former Disney chief Bob Iger and Silver Lake Management.
Genies chief executive Akash Nigam says the talent stays in charge, deciding and moderating how their digital doubles behave. He argues that AI personalities are about to turn up everywhere, from agents to companions to customer service.
The company has worked with MLB and NBA players, Justin Bieber and Webtoon Entertainment before. One report links the new interest in such personas to September's launches of AI agents including Meta's Muse and OpenAI's Dots.
Sources · 2