The Rolling Stones use deepfake technology to appear decades younger in new music video

The Rolling Stones Embrace AI-Assisted De-Aging for New Single

The Rolling Stones have released their music video for In the Stars, the opening track from their upcoming 25th album Foreign Tongues, due July 10. What sets this video apart is the band's use of deepfake technology to transform Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood into digitally younger versions of themselves, resembling their appearance from the late 1970s 1

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. Directed by François Rousselet, the In the Stars music video shows the legendary rock band performing in a warehouse surrounded by fans, with actress Odessa A'zion appearing alongside them 2

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Deep Voodoo Brings South Park Creators' Vision to Music

The technology behind this transformation comes from AI company Deep Voodoo, founded by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone 1

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. While the exact process remains unclear, the video credits list body doubles for all three band members, along with several deepfake artists and an AI data wrangler working on the project 1

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. The results are impressive, producing realistic deepfakes that show near-perfect replicas of how the band members looked decades ago, though some observers note a slightly uncanny quality 2

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Deep Voodoo's Growing Portfolio in Entertainment

This isn't Deep Voodoo's first major music video project. The company previously worked on Kendrick Lamar's 2022 video for The Heart Part 5, which digitally transformed the rapper into figures including O.J. Simpson, Kanye West, and Kobe Bryant 1

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. More recently, Deep Voodoo helped de-age Billy Joel in the music video for his 2024 song Turn the Lights Back On 1

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. "Our goal is to make beautiful, cinematic film and television that never pulls the viewer out because the effect doesn't look right," Deep Voodoo executive Jennifer Howell explained in March 2

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De-Aging Technology Reshapes Filmmaking

De-aging has become increasingly common in filmmaking, evolving from what BBC Magazine described as "a derided novelty to a useful film-making tool in fewer than 20 years" 1

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. Robert Zemeckis' 2024 film Here starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright showcased AI-assisted technology Metaphysic Live, which face-swaps in real-time. The film de-aged 58-year-old Robin Wright using footage from when she was 19, paired with her present-day performance 1

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. However, the use of such technology has sparked debate about its implications for the industry.

Industry Concerns and Future Implications

Critics have raised concerns that AI-generated younger versions of major stars could reduce opportunities for younger performers or lead studios to rely more heavily on digital recreations of established actors 1

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. As deepfake technology continues to improve and become more accessible, the entertainment industry faces questions about balancing cinematic effects with ethical considerations. The Rolling Stones' adoption of this technology for their new album rollout signals that de-aging is moving beyond experimental use into mainstream acceptance, potentially setting a precedent for how legacy artists present themselves in visual media.