Skinny, a telecommunications company, has pioneered the use of AI to create the world’s first digital clone of a customer. Liz Wright, a 64-year-old resident of the Bay of Islands, is now the AI-created brand ambassador.
“It was the opportunity of a lifetime,” Wright said. “Leave the gumboots behind and off I go.”
Wright was selected from numerous applicants nationwide. Her digital twin will be used in marketing campaigns, eliminating the need for traditional photoshoots.
Wright, a former Telecom engineer, has a good understanding of technology, thanks to her son who worked in an AI startup. “So I knew possibly more than your average 64-year-old, I’m not saying more than your average 20-year-old,” she said. “To me, it is just a tool. That’s my take on it.”
The process of creating the digital clone took eleven weeks, which included capturing Wright’s voice, facial expressions, and personality. “They captured all of me, top to tail,” Wright explained. She added that the process involved “speaking for three minutes straight over and over, and a full body scan surrounded by cameras.”
When asked about seeing the finished product, Wright said, “”Now I know that I say ‘like’ like all the kids … you see yourself and you say, ‘oh goodness look at the wrinkles on that old girl’ … I looked really good. It was really exciting and a bit zany.”
Reaction to her digital clone from family and friends was mixed. While some friends questioned her decision, Wright’s son and sister were supportive. “But we’re making history,” she said. “Anything that puts New Zealand on the map positively is worth it.”
Wright was comfortable with the project. “I felt really safe throughout the whole process,” she said, because Skinny provided its AI principles and standard of ethics.
Matt Bain, Skinny’s marketing and data director, clarified that the project was not intended to replace humans. “This AI-twist production is proof that technology, when paired with human oversight, can create something truly exciting.”
The AI version of Wright will feature in advertisements and lead campaigns for Skinny over the next two years. In addition to a fee, she will receive a lifetime supply of Skinny credit.
