ABBA's Virtual Concert, The Metaverse And The Future Of Entertainment

Even pop legends are not immune to the ongoing digitization of every aspect of life and society. Recently it was announced that Abba fans would get to experience the Swedish supergroup in their prime, as their "Abba-tars" take to the stage in London next year. The quartet spent five weeks with A/V wizards at Industrial Light and Magic, who have used advanced motion capture techniques to create virtual copies of the band that behave accurately in every way, from their dancing to their eye movements. Artificial intelligence (AI) routines were then used to "de-age" the performers, similarly to how it has been done in movies such as Star Wars and Martin Scorsese's The Irishman. Recently we have heard a lot about the metaverse – the concept of a persistent, digital reality where we can share experiences or work collaboratively within virtual environments.