Swedish bearing manufacturer SKF has launched a new advertising campaign featuring an AI-generated likeness of the late Hollywood star Greta Garbo. The actress, who passed away in 1990 at the age of 84, retired from public life in 1941. The campaign marks a return to a promotional collaboration that originally began over a century ago.
According to SKF brand and communications head Per Nilsson, the company did not use archival photos or historical video footage to create the digital avatar. Instead, the image was generated using text prompts to address copyright concerns. The project received official authorization from the Garbo estate and her family members.
The production team utilized several AI tools for the project. Image generation was handled by ByteDance Seedream 5 Pro and Google Gemini Nano Banana Pro. For motion, the team employed ByteDance Seedance 2, Seedance 2.5, and Kuaishou Kling AI. The voice was synthesized using a single authorized archival audio clip.
The advertisement has sparked debate regarding the ethics of synthetic resurrection. While AI researcher Henry Ajder noted the project demonstrates the capabilities of modern technology, critics such as The Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw expressed disapproval. Concerns regarding the posthumous use of celebrity likenesses have also been voiced by actors like George Clooney.
