Indian cinema legend Amitabh Bachchan is venturing into the field of generative AI with studio, aggregator and digital IP monetization platform Ikonz.
Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) system capable of generating text, images, or other media in response to prompts, with ChatGPT and Bing Chat being current popular examples.
Ikonz, which already works with Indian graphic novel properties Amar Chitra Katha, Tinkle and Chacha Chaudhary, has a stated vision of “bringing together advanced technologies and cultural icons to create a new era of interactive entertainment.”
The Ikonz team is working with Bachchan to capture his iconic attributes to deliver an experience to fans globally. When launched at the end of 2023, customers in India can interact with Bachchan at various locations and instantly have him interacting with them.
Abinav Varma Kalidindi, founder and CEO at Ikonz, said: “It’s a momentous day for Ikonz as the true symbolism our name has been derived with the icon Amitabh Bachchan joining forces with us. Together we will leverage the power of generative AI to create immersive experiences that transcend physical boundaries. With our state-of-the-art technology, fans will now have the opportunity to interact with their favorite actor like never before. Who knows you might even be able to take selfies with Amit-ji [Bachchan] in your city”
Bachchan added: “I am intrigued with the way technology is evolving and the pace at which new innovations are coming up worldwide, one such being generative AI. I am happy to be a part of such an amazing futuristic world of generative AI , and have therefore partnered with Abinav-promoted Ikonz . Together we shall embark on this new metaverse world.”
Ikonz is backed by investors including Village Global, a venture capital firm backed by Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Reid Hoffman.The company has also received investments from Woodstock and Polygon and from “Baahubali” star Rana Daggubati and Prasad Vanga’s Anthill Ventures.
Read Variety‘s special report on generative AI here.
