The Rolling Stones' new deepfake video 'In the Stars' forces us to question: are we erasing the beauty of aging in the name of digital immortality?
Mick Jagger is 82 years old. But in The Rolling Stones’ new music video, 'In the Stars,' he’s back in his 1970s prime. It’s a stunning, surreal leap into the future of music.
This digital fountain of youth was built by Deep Voodoo, an AI startup founded by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They previously pioneered similar tech for Kendrick Lamar and Billy Joel.
The AI didn't work alone. Director François Rousselet used over 100 live performers. Younger musicians and body doubles played the song on set, providing a physical canvas for the AI-generated faces.
Actress Odessa A'zion stars alongside the digital avatars in a chaotic 1970s warehouse party. The illusion is so complete, there’s even a hyper-realistic moment where she intimately interacts with Jagger's AI-generated face.
While Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood shed five decades, the late Charlie Watts was intentionally excluded from the deepfake process. He appears on the album via old drum tracks, but is spared from digital resurrection.
The video's credits highlight a massive industry shift. Alongside traditional roles, the production explicitly lists 'deepfake artists' and an 'AI data wrangler,' normalizing generative AI in mainstream media.
Not everyone is celebrating. Critics accuse the band of abandoning rock’s rebellious, authentic ethos. One insider noted it feels like they are acting like 'insecure influencers terrified of aging.'
The video forces a systemic question: are we exhausted by artificial permanence? When we outsource our cultural legacy to generative AI, we risk erasing the natural, earned beauty of growing old.
The hyper-realistic visual deepfakes have sparked paranoia among fans. If the faces are artificially generated, was AI also used to compose or polish the music? The Agentic Era breeds a growing distrust of 'truth.'
The digital avatars have boundless energy, but reality bites. While Jagger wants to tour the new album immediately, 82-year-old Richards firmly stated, 'Not this year.' The physical bodies cannot match their AI ghosts.
The Stones built their legacy on raw, unfiltered authenticity. Now, their polished, immortal digital twins challenge everything they stood for. Is this a triumphant stylistic homage, or a depressing betrayal?
As we enter an era where our icons never truly age or die, we must decide what we value more: the comforting illusion of endless youth, or the flawed, beautiful reality of human impermanence.
Discover more curated stories