If there's one thing advertisers fetishize above all else (uh, at least in a work environment), it's personalization.

For the past decade, the convergence of data-rich technologies like smartphones and retargeting have turned advertising into a highly personalized bloodsport where brands are basically battling to be your best friends who know all your likes, dislikes and regrettable choices made at 2 a.m.

So how far off are we from a Minority Report-esque future in which the pants store can address you by name and ask about your recent purchases as soon as you walk in the door?

Apparently we're pretty much there.

In its newest innovative collaboration, Spotify worked with The Weeknd to create an AI interface that lets fans talk to a digital avatar of the R&B star. A sort of self-deepfake, the AI uses existing audio of the musician to create customized conversations.

Each chat is based not just on the user's name and other basic info, but also their listening habits on Spotify. The result is, as always with AI, a bit of a mix of fascinating guesswork and uncanny-valley dialogue (“Hey Ashley, thanks so much for listening to my music," the avatar says in one example. "Means a lot to me. I see that you are in the top [9%] of listeners.”)

While no one's going to necessarily believe they're having a one-on-one talk with The Weeknd, the project is definitely a prime example of how digital avatars are quickly evolving into tools offering nearly endless customization and marketing opportunities (this project was created to promote his most recent album, After Hours).

Learn more about The Weeknd's digital avatar with Spotify in my colleague Patrick Kulp's coverage here, and for more background on the rise of branded digital avatars, definitely check out Patrick's article from earlier this year too.

David Griner
Creative and Innovation Editor, Adweek
david.griner@adweek.com

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