SKF ad uses AI to recreate actress Greta Garbo for a new campaign

In short: SKF released a 99-second ad that uses AI to recreate actress Greta Garbo, and viewers disagreed on how convincing it looks.

What happened

SKF Group, a Swedish manufacturing company, has released a new advertisement featuring a digital version of Greta Garbo. Garbo was a Swedish-born, Swedish-American film star who died in 1990.

The ad is meant to promote SKF’s magnetic-bearing technology. A bearing is a part that helps machines spin smoothly. SKF says its magnetic bearings can reduce friction, which is the rubbing that wastes energy and creates wear (like how a door hinge squeaks when it is not well oiled).

The campaign also points back to history. SKF said Garbo appeared in an early SKF promotional film before she became a Hollywood star.

Why it matters

The ad shows how AI is being used to bring real people back on screen after they have died. That can raise questions about taste, permission, and trust. In this case, even people close to Garbo did not fully agree on the result. Garbo’s great-nephew, Craig Reisfield, said he was impressed by the gestures, appearance, and voice. A review in The Guardian said the digital Garbo felt bland and robotic.

SKF’s creators also addressed how the replica was made. Reports said they used a human performer as a model and AI-generated imagery, which means software created new visuals based on patterns it learned. They also said they did not feed copyrighted Garbo films or still photos into the AI.

Source: NYTimes