Photo Credit: The Rolling Stones – “In the Stars” (Official Video)
The Rolling Stones’ new single features a music video that makes the band young again, thanks to de-aging tech courtesy of AI company Deep Voodoo.
The Rolling Stones have a new single, “In the Stars,” but it’s the music video that’s got everyone talking. That’s because the visages of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood appear straight out of the 1970s, thanks to de-aging technology from Deep Voodoo, the AI company of “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
While the so-called “deepfakes” are certainly impressive, some fans think it’s a little uncanny—in an uncanny valley sort of way, which has been par for the course for the bulk of otherwise convincing AI content. The exact process used to develop the de-aged Stones is unknown, but the video credits body doubles for Jagger, Richards, and Wood, who must have stood in for the band while AI de-aging tech was used on their faces to seal the deal.
It’s the latest AI-assisted music video for Parker and Stone’s Deep Voodoo—the studio behind the tech used in Kendrick Lamar’s “The Heart Part 5,” in which the rapper’s face was morphed into that of celebrities including Kanye West, OJ Simpson, and Kobe Bryant. Deep Voodoo also employed similar techniques to those used on the Stones in the video for Billy Joel’s 2024 track, “Turn the Lights Back On,” which saw the singer performing in part as he appeared in the 1970s and 1980s.
“Our goal is to make beautiful, cinematic film and television that never pulls the viewer out because the effect doesn’t look right,” said Deep Vood executive Jennifer Howell back in March.
“In the Stars” is the latest release from the Stones for the broader rollout of their upcoming 25th studio album, Foreign Tongues, which they announced last week. The band also released the album’s opening track, “Rough and Twisted,” alongside “In the Stars.” Foreign Tongues is due for release on July 10.
