While they might not be among the world's richest or most powerful individuals, the biggest celebrities are those who grab the spotlight, and often are looked up to the most.
Typically these have been people who dominate the film or music world, with blockbuster names and popstars grabbing headlines left right and center.
That could soon change – at least according to AI – as the emergent technology predicts a rather worrying shift in the names and ‘people’ that will dominate culture by the end of the decade.
We’ve already seen this happening over the last ten to fifteen years with the rise of social media and streaming, as YouTubers, Twitch stars, and influencers have begun to rival those from traditional areas of fame.
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There’s a good chance that some children are more familiar with MrBeast or iShowSpeed than they are an actor in the latest blockbuster film, and that could continue to evolve as new forms of stardom emerge.
According to ChatGPT, individuals with a ‘multi-platform cultural force’ will be those who reach the most across the globe, as it’s not enough to just be famous in one sphere as you need to take into account social media, streaming, beauty, and even tech integrations.
One particularly frightening estimation it puts forward is that an ‘AI-human hybrid personality’ could be among the world’s biggest celebrities by 2030, as ChatGPT says 'If AI companions become mainstream, the “biggest celebrity” might not even be fully human.'
Evolution in the realm of AI companions could also play a key factor, as it might give people a major new realm to explore relationships with celebrities through a digital lens, and that could be the perfect opportunity for a non-human entity to steal the spotlight.
It’s not necessarily the end for us humans though, as ChatGPT still places an emphasis on traditional routes to fame in film, music, and sports.
For example, it predicts that Taylor Swift will still be a big factor in the music world, alongside a ‘breakout’ star in K-pop or afrobeats, and the lead of a new long-running film franchise is bound to be incredibly popular.
Additionally, the rise of a new sports star on the level of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo would be undeniable — and this could prove especially important as sports is arguably the one area that AI simply cannot penetrate.
Ultimately, however, it believes traditional fame to be at a point of ‘fragmentation’, noting that future forms will encompass a blend between community, ownership, and technology.
“A global digital-native creator who blends entertainment, entrepreneurship, and tech,” ChatGPT asserts as to 2030’s biggest star, noting that they’ll be “bigger than today’s YouTubers and more interactive than today’s movie stars.”