Analysis

January 31, 2024

The problem when AI startups bring people back from the dead

This Nordic Noir Icelandic thriller for the AI era shows how startups could play an outsize role in a big year for election


Tim Smith and Zosia Wanat

4 min read

A screengrab from the deepfaked Hemmi Gunn video.

It’s New Year's Eve 2023. Across Iceland people are glued to their TVs watching a comedy music video as part of national broadcaster RÚV’s annual variety show filled with some of the country’s most famous people. But there’s a catch: one of them — comedian Hemmi Gunn — died in 2013.

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A screenshot from X with Icelandic and translated English text. It reads 'Completely semi evil and unethical to have a deepfake Hemma gunn in the skaupin.
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Tim Smith

Tim Smith was news editor at Sifted. He covered deeptech and AI, and produced Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast . Follow him on X and LinkedIn

Zosia Wanat

Zosia Wanat was a senior reporter at Sifted. She covered the CEE region and policy. Follow her on X and LinkedIn

Deeptech & AI

Deeptech & AI

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The people, companies and trends shaping European AI and deeptech.