Digital Puppets Mimic Celebrities With Chilling Accuracy

Computer researchers built highly accurate 3-D models of celebrity faces and expressions using images from Google — no scanning required. (Credit: University of Washington) No job, it seems, is safe from the machines, and that includes actors. Computer researchers from the University of Washington combed the Internet to gather vast photo collections of celebrities’ faces and built 3-D, digital imitations of their likenesses. The resulting digital puppets not only looked the part, they also conveyed the facial expressions and mannerisms of their real-world counterparts with chilling accuracy. And in this strange new world the team created, former president George W. Bush controlled digital puppets of other well-known celebrities, including President Barack Obama, to make it look like the they gave an interview they never did. Watch the video below and see for yourself.