AI Meets Reality TV: Holographic Host Joins Big Brother’s 26th Season

A holographic Julie Chen Moonves will join the real Julie Chen Moonves in hosting the upcoming 26th season of the reality show Big Brother:

• The show’s AI theme this year, “BB AI”, will feature a 7-foot hologram projection box containing a virtual version of host Julie Chen Moonves, known to fans as “Chenbot”, though her exact role is not yet clear.

Hologram technology brings celebrities to life: The AI-powered hologram is created by Proto Hologram, which has also produced interactive holographic experiences featuring William Shatner, Elton John, and others for various industries:

• To create the hologram, the subject is filmed for about 3 minutes so the software can learn their voice, movements and mannerisms, resulting in a highly realistic digital twin that can interact via text or conversation.
• The holographic human can connect with real people using AI tools or be beamed in live for real-time interactions, giving the impression they are physically present.

Big Brother’s 26th season leans into AI: In addition to the holographic host, the Big Brother house itself will have an AI-generated, futuristic aesthetic in line with the season’s theme:

• 16 new houseguests, ranging in age from 21 to 52 and including a wide variety of professions, will face “jaw-dropping surprises” as AI takes over the house.
• For the first time, viewers will vote in a 17th guest to join the cast living under constant surveillance and weekly eliminations until one claims the $750,000 grand prize.

Analyzing the AI angle: While the addition of a holographic host and AI-themed challenges could make for entertaining TV, it remains to be seen how much these gimmicks will fundamentally change the long-running reality competition. The AI elements seem more cosmetic than game-changing so far. However, the symbolic AI “takeover” of the Big Brother house and the virtual Julie Chen Moonves do raise thought-provoking questions about the role of artificial intelligence in the future of media and entertainment. This season could offer a glimpse, however superficial, of a world where AI and holograms become increasingly integral to content creation and consumption. The implications of that could be profound, but for now, the AI antics will likely just add an extra layer of intrigue to the social experiment and strategic gameplay that have kept audiences tuning in for over two decades.