‘AGT’ judges stunned after one contestant brought Elvis Presley back in the most spectacular way
The 2022 season finale of 'America's Got Talent' was gripped with AI fever when it witnessed Elvis Presley come alive on stage for thundering performances of 'Hound Dog' and 'Devil in Disguise.' The 60s-inspired concert stunned the audience further when digital versions of Sofia Vergara and Heidi Klum, providing backing vocals, joined the King of Rock 'n Roll. Meanwhile, Simon Cowell remained transfixed during the act, while a deepfake of Cowell performed a duet with Presley. As per Voicebot.ai, Presley's life-like AI version was developed by Hollywood's latest synthetic media developer, Metaphysic. The digital version mimicked the actions of singer Emilio Santoro, who paid tribute to the 'Jailhouse Rock' legend on the stage. Respeecher, a synthetic voice startup, managed Presley's vocals.
"Thank you very much. It's an honor to be here with you all on America's Got Talent; uh, I'd like to thank Metaphysic for having me here tonight," Presley's digital version said during the introduction. The mind-blowing, digitally enhanced live concert earned the crowd and the judges a standing ovation. "First of all, can we talk about how good I was? I was amazing; I was so amazing; I don't think I've ever sounded this good in my life," Klum gushed at the Metaphysic musical group. "This is my absolute favorite act so far of the night, so much so that it's good," she added.
“Let’s remember what this night is all about: It’s about winning, it’s about the money, and more importantly, it’s about being in Vegas. This, in my opinion, is probably the most incredible, original act we’ve ever had,” Cowell praised the incredible live act. “You’re so creative. You’ll have your own show in Vegas, no question about it, at the Luxor Hotel. Get ready.” The video has since garnered over a million views, and fans haven't stopped raving about the wonders of AI technology. "The guy imitating Simon is 100% spot-on!! The whole entire group is one hundred percent spot-on!!" a viewer applauded.
"Probably the most 'Vegas' act I've seen on AGT! I would love to see this live. Spectacular and funny!" a fan complimented. "The fascinating part is how very close to seemingly real that the graphics are and the mouthing of the words, the timing, and the voices. We all know it's fake, but for some moments, it's like watching the real thing if you use your imagination," an online user chimed. For the semi-finals, Metaphysic brought to life Italian composer Giacomo Puccini's 'Nessun dorma' with the AI renditions of Cowell, host Terry Crews, and Howie Mandel.
Should we start a band?? @SimonCowell @SofiaVergara 🕺💃💃@Metaphysic_ai you guys are my FAVORITE! #AGT
— Heidi Klum (@heidiklum) September 14, 2022
Cowell went on to label it the 'best act of the series.' "You guys are singing beautifully. The Opera was amazing, first of all, yes, okay, and then when you swap the faces like life right here, it's just epic," Klum complimented. While it earned laudations from the judges and the audience alike, Metaphysic ended up in fourth place. Voicebot founder Bret Kinsella stated in a Substack newsletter that deepfakes are the potential medium of entertainment in the future: “You indeed could create an entire Vegas show out of what Metaphysic put together. The show concept practically writes itself. This is a large group of Vegas tourists that love to watch those “vintage” acts that were popular in their youth. Now, you can even have acts where the performers have passed away,” he wrote.