Artificial Intelligence Shows Celebs if They Were Alive Today
By Alex D
Now and then, we get terrible news. A beloved public figure has passed away, seemingly before their time. It’s always a surprise when a celeb leaves us. When you’re famous and on top of the world, it appears nothing can bring you down. But life is unpredictable, and folks take their last breaths every day — even the rich and famous. We often wonder what our most beloved celebrities would look like if they were still here today. Thanks to the magic of artificial intelligence, we now have some answers. Artists are sharing their work with that software on social media. It’s like they never left us! It’s a little eerie, but completely intriguing: Check out the best A.I. celebs back from the dead, next.
Princess Diana
Lady Diana Spencer was plucked out of the upper class as a young woman. Charles made her a princess. But she was different than the other royals. The media dubbed her the princess of the people. Some say the prince was jealous!
As we all know, Diana died in a car accident in 1997. While driving in a tunnel, she was run off the road and into concrete. Here is what she might look like today, had she taken a different route. Isn’t it haunting?
Michael Jackson
In 2009, Michael Jackson died. The autopsy concluded his death was the result of Acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication. Later, his personal doctor went on trial for giving him way too many meds. Whether he was at fault or not: What a mess!
The King of Pop was controversial in his later years. He was the subject of serious accusations and his image took a nosedive. We will never know the truth, but we can see what he might have looked like today. A.I. recreates him, here.
Heath Ledger
In his heyday, Heath Ledger was an Aussie dreamboat. We fell in love after his breakout role in 10 Things I Hate About You. Our feelings got stronger when we saw A Knight’s Tale and Brokeback Mountain. But it was his darker role that has the most significance.
In 2008, Heath played The Joker in The Dark Knight. He stressed himself over his limit to portray the creepy character and mistakenly took too many sleeping pills. It was shocking and remains so to this day. Here is Heath, had he passed on the role.
Elvis Presley
During and after his remarkable life, Elvis Presley sold over one billion records. Today, we call him the called the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. He is honored in the Rock ‘n’ Roll, Gospel, Country, Rockabilly, and R&B halls of fame.
Sadly, the king died in 1977. It seems Elvis was taking way too many meds and had a weak heart. He was overweight, too. The mix was too much, and his story ended early. Here he is, had he survived to modern day.
Tupac Shakur
Hip-hop has evolved since the mid-90s. But if you’re a fan of old-school rap, you’re familiar with Tupac Shakur. He remains one of the best-selling artists in his genre to this day. In 1996, his lyrics came true when he was attacked in a drive-by homicide.
As we know now, Tupac didn’t survive. Conspiracy theories still float around about the nature of his death. Some people actually think he is still alive. Here, A.I. shows us what he might look like today if that were really the case.
Kurt Cobain
In 1994, grunge fans everywhere were shocked to learn Kurt Cobain had ended his own life. But thinking back, it was not really such a surprise. His lyrics had been depressing for some time. It wasn’t just for show, unfortunately.
Perhaps he got what he wanted, as sad as it is. He once wrote: “If you die you’re completely happy and your soul somewhere lives on. I’m not afraid of dying. Total peace after death, becoming someone else is the best hope I’ve got.”
Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix did electric guitar solos like no one else. He managed to mix jazz, soul, blues, and psychedelic rock. He was in the original Woodstock lineup and hits like “Purple Haze” are instantly recognizable, to this day. What went wrong?
Like many geniuses of his era, he got into substance use. But he was an advocate of freedom and refused to conform. If Jimmy ever reformed, he may have looked like this photo. Wrinkled and grey, he’s still the coolest.
Bruce Lee
In the 70s, Bruce Lee inspired a generation of martial artists. His kung fu just dazzled audiences. They had never seen anything like it! Fans loved films like Tang Shan Da Xiong and Enter the Dragon, among others. Today, he is still quite influential.
Here is A.I. Bruce, in an alternative ending. He passed away in 1973 from swelling of the brain, officially. But a recent study revealed something stranger: Doctors now suspect he died because he drank too much water. Who knew that was possible?
Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse got jazzy with hits like “Back to Black” and “You Know I’m No Good”. She was on the radio all over the world and at the height of her career when tragedy struck. Far too early, Amy passed away.
In 2011, fans mourned. Amy had tried to get sober, over and over. Her songs had documented that struggle. But her final attempt to detox from alcohol ended poorly. You can die from alcohol withdrawal. It’s surprising, but it’s true.
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was the lead anger of the band Queen. He was known for hs electrifying vocal range and stage persona. Today, everyone can still sing along to “Bohemian Rhapsody,” whether it makes sense or not. Freddie made it a legend!
Sadly, this star’s life was tragically cut short in 1991, when he succumbed to Bronchopneumonia as a complication of AIDS. If modern meds were available back then, Freddie might have looked a little something like this. He looks so distinguished!
Selena Quintanilla
Selena was a 90s artist that successfully made the crossover from the Mexican charts. That was all cut short in 1995: Her jealous manager murdered her in cold blood, shocking the world. The story was the subject of a film starring Jennifer Lopez as the famous singer.
Here she is, reimagined by artificial intelligence. During her life, Selena shared that she hoped to be remembered as a role model. She couldn’t have known that this would come true, so soon. Here, she is as she might look today.
Jim Morrison
Fans of The Doors loved Jim Morrison for his charisma, wild personality, and poetic lyrics. His performances were second to none. But maybe they were too much, in the end. In 1971, he died of congestive heart failure. He was found in the bathtub of his French apartment.
Once, Jim shared his thoughts about life and death. He mused: “People fear death even more than pain. It’s strange that they fear death. Life hurts a lot more than death. At the point of death, the pain is over. Yeah, I guess it is a friend.”
James Gandolfini
Actor James Gandolfini will always be best known for one character. He played Tony Soprano on The Sopranos. Millions watched the Italian-American crime boss every week. James was the star of must-see TV for six seasons. Sadly, he didn’t live much longer than the show.
Five years later, James died of a heart attack. It was sudden and shocked fans. The industry reeled. We don’t know what he’d be doing, these days. But artificial intelligence can show us what he might look like. Here he is, aged for our current year.
Bob Marley
Bob Marley changed the world when he left his native Jamaica. The singer-songwriter brought chill vibes and new ideas in the form of reggae. Today, he has more fans than ever. We’re all still singing along to “Jamming” and “One Love”. But sadly, Bob is not around to see it.
In 1981, the singer succumbed to skin cancer — acral lentiginous melanoma, to be exact. it’s sad, but he leaves us with hopeful lyrics to live by. As he sang: “Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights. Get up, stand up. Don’t give up the fight. ”
John Lennon
In 1980, a madman saw John Lennon outside of his apartment building in NYC. He shot the most famous member of The Beatles twice in the back. At Roosevelt Hospital, John was dead on arrival. The world reeled and mourned.
John left behind millions of fans, his wife Yoko Ono, and young sons. It’s hard to imagine our era with his influence. He has been gone for so long. But here, A.I. helps us a bit. This is John Lennon, aged for today.
Prince
There’s no doubt about it: Prince’s work has stood the test of time. During his life, fans and critics alike appreciated his unique sound and style. He won seven Grammys and sold more than 100 million albums over his career.
In 2016, Prince suddenly died. He was ill in the weeks leading up to his death. But he was actually given counterfeit pain pills that continued fentanyl. He accidentally overdosed, like thousands of other Americans. Doves cried, and fans cried, too.
Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin was the queen of rock ‘n’ roll in the mid-60s. Her voice was like no one else’s at the time. It’s safe to say she remains a legend. But it’s hard to avoid the sadness that she left us at just age 27. What happened?
It’s sad but true: Like many artists, Janis succumbed to addiction. Even after her death, she remains a best-selling singer. Her philosophy was simple: “You can destroy your now by worrying about tomorrow.” Here, we see what she might look like if she had a change of heart.
George Michael
In the 80s and 90s, George Michael became an icon. In just his music video for “Freedom”, he got five original supermodels: Naomi Campbell, Tatjana Patitz, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, and Cindy Crawford. Overall, George sold 120 million records around the world.
Today, we can say he is one of the best-selling singers of all time. But his life and career were cut short in 2016. Due to long-term heart and liver problems, George passed away. Here, we see what he might look like now.
Anna Nicole Smith
Anna Nicole Smith was never far from controversy in her time. She was an exotic dancer and posed for Playboy. She married an 89-year-old millionaire and tried to inherit all his money. Did she really love him? No one thought so, but she claimed it was pure.
Anna died in 2007. In the years leading to her end, she was often seen intoxicated. That was the eventual cause of her death. An autopsy revealed an accidental overdose. Here, we see Anna in an alternative and sober reality.
David Bowie
Few artists can be compared to David Bowie. His music combined genres and he aways impressed fans with innovation. If you’re curious who the best-selling vinyl artist of the 21st century was, it’s David. Sadly, he passed away from liver cancer in 2016.
Just days before his death, David released a haunting music video. It explicitly explored his end. At the time, he knew his cancer was terminal, but that was an opportunity for art. Check out “Lazarus”, to see his final thoughts.
Aaliyah
Aaliyah started her career at just age 14 with her album Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number. She was a chart-topper right away, and she started to make appearances in films. You may have seen her in Queen of the Damned. That all came to a halt in 2001, when she died in a tragic plane crash.
What happened? An investigation determined that the plane was completely overloaded at takeoff — by 700 pounds, in fact. It also had too many passengers. What’s more, the pilot was not approved to fly. He also had traces of an illegal substance in his system. Overall, a disaster!
Marilyn Monroe
There’s no one more recognizable than Marilyn Monroe. She was an icon in her time, and she remains one today. But due to her early death, we don’t know what she would actually look like as an older dame. Here, A.I. answers the question.
We see that her signature hairstyle has morphed with the times. With the passing decades, Marilyn’s face has aged. Her blond locks have graduated to grey, as a mature woman. She’s still rocking the red lip, though. How could she not?
Michelle Thomas
If Michelle Thomas looks familiar, she should. At one time, she was all over TV. First, she gained recognition for her role as Justine Phillips on The Cosby Show. Then, she was Myra Monkhouse on Family Matters. Daytime soap viewers later saw her on The Young and the Restless.
In 1997, Michelle got terrible news. The actress was diagnosed with a rare stomach cancer. It was a surprise because she never smoked or drank. She was a healthy vegetarian, too. Sometimes, folks just get unlucky. We miss you, Michelle!
Philip Seymour Hoffman
If you’re a film buff, you loved Philip Seymour Hoffman. He was rarely the star of a film, but that was his charm. His supporting roles were very distinctive. Eventually, he won an Oscar as the lead playing Truman Capote in Capote in 2005. But that was the beginning of the end, for Philip.
The actor’s career was climbing, but his personal issues were intensifying. In 2014, he succumbed to substance use. The autopsy said he mixed too many things at once in too high a dose. Here is what Phillip would look like today, fans.
John Candy
During his life, comedian John Candy made us chuckle. You may remember him from movies like Stripes and Spaceballs. But there’s a reason you haven’t laughed with him for decades. Unfortunately, John died in 1994. The cause was a heart attack, like millions of Americans.
At the time of his passing, John was pretty young. He was only 43, which should have been the prime of his career. His final two movies were Canadian Bacon and Wagons East. Posthumously, they are dedicated to his memory.
Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly remains an icon of old Hollywood glamour. She rose to prominence in films like High Noon and Mogambo in the 50s, and she appeared in some Hitchcock films along the way. Then, she married Prince Rainier III of Monaco. She literally became a princess!
It’s a sad ending, but Grace had a stroke while driving a car. She was turned off life support. Her grieving husband never remarried. He was buried next to her after his own death. This is what she might look like today, according to artificial intelligence.
Ayrton Senna
Brazilian racecar driver Ayrton Senna was a World Champion. He won 41 Grands Prix contests and held several records before his death in 1994. Sadly, he crashed into concrete during a race in Italy. Would he regret his career, if we could ask now?
Probably not, if we take him at his word. This athlete loved living on the edge. He said he liked to learn about his own physical and mental limitations. Through racing, he could go further and further. Ayrton called it a way of life. Sadly, it was also a way of death.
Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett was one of the original Charlie’s Angels. The actress inspired an entire decade of long, feathered locks. Her signature look was iconic. Today, she is still known for her beauty and style. In 2009, she died from cancer. What would she look like now?
It’s hard to say for certain. But Farrah was a stylish gal. It is likely that she would have updated her hair by now. Artificial intelligence created her with this modern look. We think it suits her, but we will always love her classic layers.
Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious was the bassist for The Sex Pistols. He believed in wild living, first and foremost. He wouldn’t take advice to slow down. Sid predicted his own death before age 25. In the end, it occurred at age 21.
His philosophy of living o the edge caught up with him when he overdosed in the late 70s. Here, we see what the rocker might look like as an older gent. He’s a bit weathered, but we certainly see Sid in there.
Heather O’Rouke
Heather Michele O’Rourke was a child actress in the 70s. Perhaps you remember the little girl from the movie Poltergeist. She had a significant role, but we never saw her again. Fans have long wondered: What happened to her afterward?
At the age of 12, she died from two heart attacks. Her cause of death was a combination of septic shock and a problem in her intestines. Doctors believed she was dealing with Crohn’s disease for some time. Here is what she might look like, had she survived.