Latest news with #avatars
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Spice Girls former manager Simon Fuller 'reveals huge plans for the girl group's reunion' - but with a twist
Spice Girls former manager Simon Fuller has reportedly 'revealed his huge plans for the girl group's reunion' - but theres a twist. The Pop Idol creator, 65, is said to be hoping to mark the 30th anniversary of their debut hit Wannabe. It has already been said that Posh Spice, aka Victoria Beckham, is '90 per cent out of the running', but he now appears to have found a way around it. Simon's new idea could see the band reunite on stage as avatars, just like ABBA have with their smash hit hologram show. A source told The Sun: 'He was the person who came up with the original idea for Abba and their digital show and he thinks this model could work perfectly for the group.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The Pop Idol creator, 65, is said to be hoping to mark the 30th anniversary of their debut hit Wannabe (pictured in 2019) They continued: 'Even Victoria said she would be behind it if all of them had agreed. She wouldn't stop it. 'Simon knows this plan would mean the band would be making money in their sleep and it would open up their music to a whole new generation.' In 2016, Simon persuaded super-group ABBA to reunite to explore working in virtual reality, which led to the ABBA Voyage project which has been pulling in fans for three years at a purpose-built East London arena. MailOnline has contacted Simon's representative for comment. Victoria and her husband David fell out with him about seven years ago and bought themselves out of their contracts with the mogul's XIX Entertainment agency. The couple paid around £38 million for Simon's 33 per cent stake in the former England footballer's businesses, which gave David and Victoria full control of Beckham Brand Holdings, which includes a stake in US-based football club Inter Miami. Last week, Mel C broke her silence on the upcoming Spice Girls reunion tour, revealing that one member still 'needs more convincing' to take to the stage. But in a new interview, she shared her excitement about the tour and let slip that one other member seemingly wasn't as enthusiastic about picking up the mic again and needed further persuasion. Speaking on the No Filter with Kate Langbroek podcast, Sporty Spice shared: 'Next year is a big year for us and we have to acknowledge it in some way. 'So we are talking about what that's going to look like and for me, Melanie, I know for sure, and Emma [Bunton], we'd be back on stage. But sometimes other people need a little bit more convincing.' Amid her revelation that it was Geri Halliwell-Horner that needed convincing, this further adds to recent reports that Ginger Spice is set to meet with Spice Girls manager Simon in Miami to discuss the plans. The singer, 52, recently remained coy about a possible reunion, saying in an interview last month: 'I love the Spice Girls as a whole movement, the tribe of us, and the individual members.' It was thought that the scandal scandal engulfing her husband Christian Horner, who accused of misconduct by a team employee, put Geri off taking part. But with Geri's Red Bull F1 boss Christian gearing up for the latest race in the calendar and with Simon reportedly a racing fan with an invite from Red Bull to attend, it would be the perfect opportunity for the two to chat. Meanwhile, discussing the prospect of all five girls being on stage together for the first time since 2012, Mel added: 'It would be the best thing ever, ever, ever. And sometimes it feels like a duty to the world. 'When we did the shows in 2019, it brought so much joy to so many people. Not everybody likes the Spice Girls but loads of people do. 'We're living in this weird world right now. There's so much negativity and mad s**t going on. Let's all spice up our lives.' Meanwhile, Mel B joked that any important details regarding the tour won't be shared with Mel B as 'she can't keep her mouth shut.' In a new interview, Mel C, 51, shared her excitement about the tour and let slip that one other member seemingly wasn't as enthusiastic and needed further persuasion Amid her revelation that it was Geri Halliwell-Horner that needed convincing, this further adds to recent reports that Ginger Spice is set to meet with Spice Girls manager Simon in Miami She quipped: 'We've decided now we're not going to tell Mel anything because she can't keep her mouth shut. 'So don't listen to Mel B because she doesn't know, because we're not telling her.' Since they officially broke up they there have been various rumours that they would reunite - with Mel B recently sharing her enthusiasm again for another tour. Mel C previously hinted that the band could do something special next year to mark the 30-year anniversary of their debut album, Spice. The girl group last toured together in 2020 as a foursome, with only Victoria missing out. While the last time Emma, Mel B, Mel C, Victoria and Geri all performed as a five was during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
After Klarna, Zoom's CEO also uses an AI avatar on quarterly call
CEOs are now so immersed in AI, they're sending their avatars to address quarterly earnings calls instead of themselves, at least partially. After the Klarna CEO's AI avatar appeared on an investor call earlier this week, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan followed suit, also using his avatar for initial comments. Yuan deployed his custom avatar via Zoom Clips, the company's asynchronous video creation tool. "I am proud to be among the first CEOs to use an avatar in an earnings call," he -- or rather his avatar -- said. "It is just one example of how Zoom is pushing the boundaries of communication and collaboration. At the same time, we know trust and security are essential. We take AI-generated content seriously and have built in strong safeguards to prevent misuse, protect user identity, and ensure avatars are used responsibly." Yuan has long advocated for using avatars in meetings and has previously said that the company aims to create digital twins of users. He's not alone in this vision; the CEO of AI-powered transcription service Otter is reportedly training his own avatar to share the workload. Meanwhile, Zoom said that it is making the custom avatar add-on feature available to all users this week. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at
TechCrunch
23-05-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
After Klarna, Zoom's CEO also uses an AI avatar on quarterly call
In Brief CEOs are now so immersed in AI, they're sending their avatars to address quarterly earnings calls instead of themselves, at least partially. After the Klarna CEO's AI avatar appeared on an investor call earlier this week, Zoom CEO Eric Yuan followed suit, also using his avatar for initial comments. Yuan deployed his custom avatar via Zoom Clips, the company's asynchronous video creation tool. 'I am proud to be among the first CEOs to use an avatar in an earnings call,' he — or rather his avatar — said. 'It is just one example of how Zoom is pushing the boundaries of communication and collaboration. At the same time, we know trust and security are essential. We take AI-generated content seriously and have built in strong safeguards to prevent misuse, protect user identity, and ensure avatars are used responsibly.' Yuan has long advocated for using avatars in meetings and has previously said that the company aims to create digital twins of users. He's not alone in this vision; the CEO of AI-powered transcription service Otter is reportedly training his own avatar to share the workload. Meanwhile, Zoom said that it is making the custom avatar add-on feature available to all users this week.
Zawya
21-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Japanese AI pioneer AVITA joins UAE's NextGen FDI initiative
The Ministry of Economy has announced that AVITA, a Japanese advanced technology firm that specialises in generative AI and avatar-based solutions, has become the latest enterprise to join the NextGen FDI initiative, which seeks to attract pioneering companies from around the world to the UAE through a package of market-entry fundamentals. Their decision to establish a presence in the UAE will greatly enhance the country's technological landscape and support national ambitions to become a regional and global hub for artificial intelligence. AVITA, which is driven by its mission of 'evolving humanity with avatars', is using a range of AI tools to improve customer service, enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs and increase sales. AVITA's customer-support platform AVACOM and its educational tool Ava Training utilise avatars that can act as digital representations of real-life individuals, allowing businesses and employees to overcome physical limitations and fostering stronger connections with customers through human-like interactions. AVITA's CEO Hiroshi Ishiguro is a leading authority in human-robot interaction and received the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award in 2015. He has already been conducting various research initiatives and pilot projects at a research institute in the UAE established by Dubai Future Lab and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, said, 'The integration of AVITA into the NextGen FDI initiative underscores our commitment to attracting visionary companies that push the boundaries of technology. Their groundbreaking work in avatar solutions not only addresses current challenges such as labour shortages but also paves the way for new job opportunities and innovative business practices. This collaboration will play a crucial role in our ambition to cultivate a diverse, knowledge-driven economy in the UAE that is prepared for the future.' Shogo Nishiguchi, Cofounder and Chief Operating Officer of AVITA, stated that the UAE is not only a gateway to the Middle East but also a strategic hub for global expansion. AVITA joins a cohort of more than 100 companies operating in sectors such as renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and robotics.
NHK
13-05-2025
- Business
- NHK
China tests AI tech in race to get ahead of U.S.
China sees an AI future in avatars to transform how companies market and sell products -- just one area where it's seeking to catch and pass the United States.
