Celebrity
Artist Uses AI To Show What Stars Like Diana, Michael Jackson, And Others Would Look Like If Alive Today
Artist Yesiltas resurrect stars who died young with the help of AI and photo editing software.
Several celebrities had unexpectedly passed away long before they reached old age. Most of their fans have pondered what they would have looked like if they were older and alive. It’s natural to think this, and thankfully, Alper Yesiltas seems to have the perfect answer, thanks to the use of AI, Artificial Intelligence.
The photographer launched a series called “As If Nothing Happened.” It brings pop culture icons back to life.
“With the development of AI technology, I’ve been excited for a while, thinking that anything imaginable can be shown in reality. When I started tinkering with technology I saw what I could do and thought about what would make me the happiest. I wanted to see some of the people I missed again in front of me and that’s how this project emerged,” Yesiltas wrote of the project.
Among the celebrities featured is Princess Diana. She was killed in Paris at age 36 after the Mercedes Benz she was riding crashed while being chased by Paparazzi on August 31st, 1997.
Another is Michael Jackson, who died of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication at his Los Angeles home on June 25, 2009, at 50.
Rapper Tupak Shakur died at 25 in Las Vegas from gunshot wounds on September 13, 1996.
According to DailyMail, Yesiltas claimed behind the project lies the question of how people would look photo-realistically if some great events hadn’t happened. He continued: “The hardest part of the creative process for me is making the image feel real to me. The moment I like the most is when I think the image in front of me looks very realistic as if it was taken by a photographer.”
Here’s Elvis Presley. He had suffered from heart troubles and diabetes. He died on August 16, 1977, at 42.
Rocker Kurt Cobain died on April 5, 1994, at his Seattle home after a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head at 27.
Queen lead vocalist Freddie Mercury died from bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDs on November 24, 1991, at his home in London at age 45.
Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose on October 4, 1970, at age 27.
Mymodernmet reported that Yesiltas used various software to create his images, ranging from Remini, an AI photo enhancer, to photo editing programs, including VSCO and Lightroom. All of this went into creating the portraits. The results are hands down fascinating, and if you’re a fan of the resurrected dead stars, they’ll make you miss the person more than you imagined.
Actor Jimi Hendrix died of a drug overdose on September 18, 1970, at 27.
Actor Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose on January 22, 2008, at 28.
Beatles singer John Lennon was brutally shot outside in New York City on December 8, 1980, at 40.
Paul Walker died in a car crash on November 30, 2013. He and his friend, Roger Rodas, 38, were returning from an event for Walker’s charity, Reach Out Worlwide.
