‘America’s Got Talent’: Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara Sing With Elvis

As part of the memorable first episode of America’s Got Talent’s two-night finale on Sept. 13, Metaphysic delivered a show-stopping performance. The Season 17 AGT contestants have thrilled viewers with their photorealistic deepfake avatars of celebrities created by artificial intelligence. In their next performance, Metaphysic brought out none other than Elvis Presley, projected on a large screen overlooking the stage, leaving judge Simon Cowell speechless. The Elvis avatar opened with a quick rendition of the King’s hit “Hound Dog.” Then, avatars of Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara joined as backup singers as he performed.

Suddenly, an avatar of Cowell appeared on the screen to sing the verse, “You’re a devil in disguise!” After that, Cowell and Elvis traded verses while Klum and Vergara swayed to the beat. “It was amazing,” said Vergara. “I think it’s so much fun when you came into the show.” Cowell added, “This the most incredible and original act we’ve ever had on the show.”

According to their official website, Metaphysic “is pioneering the future of hyperreal AI-generated content and, through mainstream entertainment, we are keen to show the world what can be achieved when entertainment and technology combine.” AGT participants and Metaphysic co-founders Tom Graham, Chris Ume, and their team have worked with South Park, Gillette, and The Belgian Football Association.

The technical experts discussed their audition for the show, during which they partnered with a former AGT contestant Daniel Emmet. With an AI twist, he performed an incredible rendition of “You’re The Inspiration” to the audience, with Cowell’s face projected onto his. Since Metaphysic typically produces content online, it was their first time performing to a live audience. They stated in the website message, “It was incredible to see such a positive reaction from a live audience.”

“The aim of our performance was always to harness the power of AI and synthetic media to create entertaining and meaningful content to delight the audience.” The statement added that “Simon obviously loved it” and emphasized the surreality of watching himself perform something he had never done before. The post continued, “We can’t wait to raise more awareness of our platform and show the world how they too will be able to create incredible content that will help develop the metaverse and ultimately bring communities together through technology.” Season 17’s winner will be revealed during the grand finale on Wednesday, Sept. 14.