AI-Powered Stan Lee Hologram Debuts at LA Comic Con, Sparks Debate
Los Angeles, CA – An AI-powered hologram of the late Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee made its debut at LA Comic Con this weekend, allowing fans to interact with a life-sized avatar of Lee for $15 to $20 per session. the project, developed by Hyperreal, utilizes artificial intelligence trained on Lee’s past statements to generate responses, though it does not directly quote him.
The initiative comes nearly seven years after Lee’s death at age 95 in November 2018. According to hyperreal CEO and Chief Architect Remington Scott, Lee himself had begun the process of digitizing his likeness while alive, envisioning a ”digital double” for fan interaction.
The hologram’s unveiling has been met with notable criticism,with some calling the concept “demonic” and demanding its removal.Chris DeMoulin, CEO of the parent company behind LA Comic Con, defended the project, urging critics to experiance it firsthand. ”We’re not afraid of people seeing it and we’re not afraid of criticism,” he told Ars Technica. “I’m just a fan of informed criticism, and I think most of what’s been out there so far has not really been informed.”
DeMoulin explained the AI is designed to base its responses on “all of the actual comments that people made during their life,” creating an interactive experience rooted in Lee’s own words. He acknowledged the ethical concerns surrounding the technology, stating, “I totally agree that something like this-not just for Stan but for anyone, any celebrity alive or dead-could be put into this technology and used in a way that would be exploitative and unfortunate.”
Hyperreal maintains the technology is intended to “create respectful digital extensions that honor their legacy,” and not to replace artists.DeMoulin indicated the project’s future hinges on fan reception, stating, “I suppose if we do it and thousands of fans interact with [it] and they don’t like it, we’ll stop doing it.”
