First AI-Generated Model Appears In A Japanese TV Ad
A groundbreaking moment has arrived where an AI-generated model was featured on TV for the first time.
A Japanese company, En, Ltd., made headlines recently by including an artificial intelligence-created model in a TV commercial for its Oi Ocha Katekin Ryokucha green tea drink.
You can watch the full commercial video here:
After watching it a few times, it’s clear that the model isn’t a real person. However, the team deserves credit for their editing skills. The model looks very real and moves naturally at first. They have surely put a lot of work into this 15-second commercial.
Currently, the best AI-video generators like RunwayML, Pika Labs, and Stable Video can’t create videos of this quality.
Don’t believe me? Let’s put it to the test.
Recreating the AI commercial video
I started by generating an image of the model similar to the one in the commercial using Midjourney. Here’s the prompt I used:
Prompt: a female asian model holding a plastic bottle of iced tea, smiling, facing the camera, and wearing a white sleeveless clothes. The shot is close up from head to shoulder level. It’s day time and the background is a wide shot of buildings, lots of white space and sky. — chaos 30 — ar 3:2 — stylize 300 — weird 300
Here are the output images:
For those without access to Midjourney, free AI image generators like Playground AI, Leonardo AI, or Gemini can be used.
Next, I used Runway Gen2 to animate one of the static images.
I left all settings as default. Here’s the final output:
That’s impressive, right? It took only 5 minutes, and I didn’t spend anything to create this commercial with two AI tools.
Even on a free account, you can extend the video to another four seconds.
Here’s the final 8-second video of our AI commercial:
Longer videos might show some glitches, like with the hair or her hand moving strangely.
Feel free to try it yourself, as Runway Gen2 is free to use.
Why use AI?
According to an Ito En public relations official, the decision to use an AI-generated character was made when considering how to depict someone today and 30 years in the future.
“We decided to use the AI-generated character after thinking about how we could show someone’s appearance in the present and 30 years later.”
But why choose an AI model over a real actor?
The answer is simple: It’s cheaper to use AI to make someone look younger or older than to hire two actors who look similar.
AI-powered filters are becoming more common in our favorite apps, like TikTok and Instagram.
Artists are not happy
The company behind the TV ad received a lot of feedback. While some were impressed, others were not pleased.
Take the AI-generated intro for Marvel’s Secret Invasion series, for example. It wasn’t well-received, and I agree that it didn’t look good. With a big budget, they could’ve hired talented individuals instead.
Going back to the Japanese TV ad...
Artists worried about their jobs are urging the government to take action.
Is this the beginning of the end for TV commercial actors?
Final Thoughts
Seeing AI-made stuff on TV isn’t a huge surprise. We already see it on our phones, and soon it’ll be in even more places. AI gets better every day, and that means some jobs will disappear. It’s better to start learning about AI now than get left behind.
It might feel weird to think about ‘fake’ people selling us stuff, but the tech is here. This Japanese tea ad won’t be the last AI-powered media we see. In a few years, AI news reporters, virtual assistants in stores, or even completely AI-made movies won't be impossible.
This isn’t about being scared of AI; it’s about being smart. Instead of just waiting to see whose jobs get disrupted, we need training and education to work alongside these tools. Those who learn about AI now will have a major advantage as it gets woven into all parts of our lives.
This story is published on Generative AI. Connect with us on LinkedIn and follow Zeniteq to stay in the loop with the latest AI stories. Let’s shape the future of AI together!
