“If you could have dinner with any person, alive or dead, who would it be?.” That’s the question Lucas Whittaker, Jason Weismueller, and I posed at the start of our recently published academic article in the Business Horizons journal.
The question wasn’t just for fun (although do tell me who you’d choose!), it related to our topic of ‘Digital Human Avatars’; hyper-realistic, AI-driven representations of real people like celebrities and public figures. We shortened it to DHAs in the end although for a (short) time were toying with Public Figure Digital Human Avatars (PFDHAs) until we decided three letters for an acronym was plenty!
We started discussing potential collaborations and this topic at the ANZMAC conference, a large annual conference for academics and PhD students. At the time Lucas and Jason were both PhD students and are now both fully fledged academics doing great things. This was a fun collaboration and will hopefully lead to more!
Read the full article (open access, i.e. free!) at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0007681325001077 or read on for a summary.
Publication Details
- Journal: Business Horizons
- Journal Ranking: Q1 Business and Management Journal
- Publication Date: June 2025
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2025.06.004
- Authors: Lucas Whittaker (Swinburne University), Jason Weismueller (University of Western Australia), Jason Pallant (RMIT University)
- Article Type: Conceptual Research Paper
Research Summary
The Problem
Digital Human Avatars represent a new frontier in celebrity marketing, but managers lack frameworks for understanding their strategic implications. While virtual influencers and AI chatbots have been studied, DHAs uniquely combine real human representation with AI-powered interactivity, creating novel opportunities and risks that haven’t been systematically examined.
Our Approach
We conducted a comprehensive conceptual analysis examining DHAs through multiple lenses: technology capabilities, marketing theory, consumer psychology, and strategic management. We analysed current industry implementations, reviewed relevant literature across marketing, technology, and psychology, and developed frameworks and considerations based on real-world case studies including Digital Melo (Carmelo Anthony), Digital Jack (Jack Nicklaus), and Digital Marilyn (Marilyn Monroe).
Key Findings
We proposed five major opportunities for brands and public figures
- Scalable Multilingual Reach – DHAs enable celebrities to engage global audiences in their native languages without physical presence
- Enhanced Parasocial Relationships – AI-powered personal interactions deepen fan connections while maintaining celebrity boundaries
- Advanced Realism – Form and behavioral realism drive stronger marketing effectiveness than previous avatar technologies
- Dynamic Personalisation – DHAs adapt conversations to individual users, creating unique engagement experiences
- Content Control and Licensing – New revenue streams through digital likeness licensing with precise message control
These opportunities were balanced by five key risks:
- Security Vulnerabilities – DHAs create new attack vectors for malicious actors and misinformation campaigns
- Uncertain ROI – High implementation costs (tens to hundreds of thousands annually) with limited performance data
- Reputational Damage – Off-script responses or unauthorized use can harm both celebrity and brand reputations
- Legal and Ethical Dilemmas – Complex intellectual property issues, especially with deceased celebrity representations
- Harmful User Relationships – Risk of unhealthy emotional dependencies or parasocial obsessions
Practical Implications
We developed five strategic considerations for managers:
- Use DHAs for augmentation not replacement of human celebrities
- Balance authentic representation with brand values
- Ensure contextual alignment with deployment settings
- Implement appropriate disclosure practices
- And protect privacy for both users and represented celebrities.
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