Beloved Brazil’s Late Singer Elis Regina “Revives” through AI in lovely VW Campaign

A beloved but gone Brazilian singer, her daughter and a great number of classic VWs makes for a tearjerker of a commercial in Brazil. VW of Brazil going all the way to celebrate their 70th anniversary in Brazil.

Brazilian automotive giant Volkswagen has teamed up with artificial intelligence (AI) technology to bring back the voice of the late iconic singer Elis Regina. As reported by the Guardian,  In a new campaign, Volkswagen utilizes AI to recreate the distinct vocal style of Regina, who passed away in 1982 at the age of 36. The initiative aims to pay tribute to Regina’s musical legacy and showcase the capabilities of AI technology.

The campaign, titled “The Voice of Elis Regina,” features a virtual representation of the legendary Brazilian singer, created using deep learning algorithms and extensive analysis of her songs, interviews, and videos. The AI system meticulously studied Regina’s singing technique, intonation, and pronunciation, enabling it to recreate her voice convincingly.

“The Voice of Elis Regina” campaign includes a short film posted on YouTube, showcasing the AI-generated voice of Regina singing a newly composed song, “Canção do Novo Tempo” (Song of the New Time). The video, which begins with real footage of Regina, transitions seamlessly into the AI-generated rendition, making it difficult to distinguish between the original and recreated voice.

The initiative has sparked a mixed response, with some praising the technology’s ability to recreate a beloved singer’s voice and evoke nostalgia. Others, however, express concerns over ethical implications and the potential for AI to manipulate or commercialize deceased artists’ work without their consent.

Volkswagen defends the campaign, emphasizing that it is a tribute to Regina’s talent and aims to introduce her music to younger generations who may not be familiar with her. The company assures that the AI-generated voice will not be used for profit or exploited commercially, instead focusing on preserving the artist’s legacy and contributing to the cultural heritage of Brazil.

I absolutely love the models they picked. The VW ‘Brazilia’ and the VW SP2 are all over the place in this great commercial. Pure love.

As the boundaries between technology and art continue to blur, the “Voice of Elis Regina” campaign represents a significant milestone in AI’s creative applications. It serves as a thought-provoking example of the possibilities and challenges that arise when AI is used to recreate the voices and talents of deceased artists, raising important questions about artistic authenticity and the ethical use of AI-generated content.