On his death, Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas gave the company the right to digitally recreate him for ads. In 2002, that seemed crazy, but today, de-aging tech and body scans have reached a point where reality and fiction have blended.

ElevenLabs recently announced a deal to buy the voice rights of deceased celebrities from their estates, allowing companies to pay to use their voices for various projects, like audiobooks.

With AI recreations of Marilyn Monroe and hologram 2Pac at concerts, it’s possible to imagine artists who, through their estates, continue to create music, act, and write books through digital avatars long after their death.

Should this be normalized? Would you sell the rights to your digital self to help provide for your family after you leave?

AI resurrects deceased actors’ voices to read audiobooks | CNN Business

Actress Judy Garland never recorded her voice to read an audiobook of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but you’ll soon be able to hear her rendition of the children’s novel that inspired the movie nonetheless.