In a rapidly evolving landscape of digital technology, the emergence of AI avatars offers a striking intersection of innovation, nostalgia, and ethical debate. One of the latest and most intriguing examples is “Jordan,” an AI-powered digital twin of British glamor model Katie Price, brought to life by the startup OhChat. This innovative platform caters to a growing audience looking to explore their fantasies through AI interaction. For a fee, users can engage with Jordan, who is designed to remember, desire, and connect with them while embodying the likeness and persona of Price, who originally gained fame in the late 1990s as a tabloid model and Playboy cover star.
Katie Price’s sentiments illuminate the depth of this technological advancement: she affirms that Jordan embodies a past version of herself, stating, “It’s my voice. It’s literally me. It’s me.” The inception of Jordan aligns with a broader trend in digital avatars, where various creators and celebrities can monetize their likenesses by offering personalized and immersive experiences to their fans. Founded only eight months before this development, OhChat has already attracted 200,000 users, predominantly from the United States, eager to explore “spicy fantasies” with AI avatars crafted to resemble their favorite public figures.
OhChat stands out by pushing the boundaries beyond platforms like OnlyFans, which primarily focus on creator-driven adult content. Here, the fusion of fame and fantasy creates an environment where simulated intimacy is not just available but is actively commodified. Eleanor Drage of the University of Cambridge notes the ethical implications embedded in this technology, warning that humans could ultimately become obsolete in favor of AI representations that are capable of exploiting their real-life counterparts for profit.
Indeed, OhChat CEO Nic Young characterizes the platform as a “lovechild between OnlyFans and OpenAI,” emphasizing its potential for personal, infinite content generation. Pricing for accessing these avatars is tiered, ranging from $4.99 monthly subscriptions for text interactions to $29.99 for unlimited VIP access. Creators, including Price, enjoy a significant cut, receiving 80% of the revenue generated by their digital representations, while the platform retains the remaining 20%.
Critically, Young underscores that creators generate considerable passive income without ongoing effort, a factor that might attract many to the platform. The operational pathway to create a digital twin is relatively straightforward: creators provide 30 images and engage in a half-hour conversation for the technology to gather the necessary data to replicate them accurately. Price’s digital twin is engineered to capture her mannerisms and vocal characteristics, allowing Jordan to interact intimately with fans autonomously.
However, it is essential to delve deeper into the potential ramifications of AI companions like Jordan. The phenomenon raises crucial ethical and emotional questions related to dependency on artificial entities. Sandra Wachter, a professor at the University of Oxford, raises alarms about the effects of monetizing interactions that mimic emotional discourse. Such dynamics can create risk-laden landscapes for vulnerable fans, who may form unhealthy attachments with avatars, as seen in a previous high-profile incident involving a chatbot relationship linked to a tragic suicide.
Experts like Toby Walsh caution against viewing these AI interactions as genuine connections. They serve more as “algorithmic theatre,” illusions that promote engagement without reciprocation. Young defends his platform’s transparency, stating that while it emphasizes engagement, users are informed that their conversations are with AI and not actual individuals.
Moreover, the potential for creators like Price to face reputational risks from their digital twins cannot be overlooked. Expert Éamon Chawke notes that the ramifications of a hacked avatar or an inappropriate interaction could tarnish a public figure’s image. Hence, with the potential for great profit comes equally great responsibility.
As the conversation around AI continues to expand, so too will the methodologies, ethics, and boundaries of these technologies. Young envisions a future where digital twins are standard for every creator, indicating that the potential for AI avatars in human interaction transcends merely novel entertainment and instead positions itself at the core of human experience. While it offers innovative avenues for creators, it also underscores an urgent need for mindful engagement and ethical considerations in our increasingly digitized and simulated world.