Jessica Pliskin, 23, made history after winning the futuristic Black Mirror-style Avatar Round, which has been introduced in the Miss England contest
A model has been crowned the winner of the world’s first AI beauty pageant after wowing judges with a computer-generated “digital twin” clone of herself.
Jessica Pliskin, 23, made history after coming out on top in the futuristic Black Mirror-style Avatar Round, which has been introduced this year for the first time in the Miss England contest.
The divisive round featured beauty queens creating digitally cloned versions of their real-life selves to perform corporate presentations to the camera using fully-animated avatars.
They were then judged on their grasp and understanding of the technology before their avatars were pitched to brands and agencies in a bid to secure commercial contracts for a tech firm.
Jessica’s digital twin – named Jessa – can be seen talking to the camera, where she eerily says: “Hello I’m Jessa and I’m not real.” She then begins talking in French – a language she does not know in reality – and adds: “Now my likeness can be everywhere, for everyone.
“Whether your promoting products oversees, creating a social media campaign, training staff or delivering presentations I can represent your message with professionalism, personality and impact.”
Miss England organisers believe they are the first beauty pageant in the world to introduce a digital AI round to help “reflect the world” the young women are stepping into.
But there has been mixed opinions on whether the new round is dangerous or progressive.
Jessica, of Bristol, was named the winner after impressing judges with her “creativity, technical understanding, and vision” and for using technology to make a “positive impact”.
She now plans to implement the same technology to bring AI-powered education to deprived communities across Africa as part of a project which has already won plaudits in Zambia. Jessica also wants to promote women working in under-represented professions in the STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths.
The physics graduate from the University of Bristol said: “To see a digital avatar of yourself was very strange – especially when it talks languages you don’t even know. We basically spent a day in a studio talking to the camera, wearing a variety of outfits, doing different hand gestures and expressions.
“And from that they are able to build a digital AI avatar, which can speak in 150 different languages and is capable of these incredible presentations. It is amazing really as it is capable of producing something in a matter of hours which would otherwise take a week or several weeks.
“I am currently a model and I feel the industry is going to change, so I think that this is something that will help me. It will help me adapt to the industry, rather than trying to avoid it and then getting lost.”
She called it a “revolutionary and forward-thinking new element that’s never been seen before in pageantry”. Jessica now plans to use her new title for a good cause by promote a project called School Box Africa – an initiative designed to bringing AI-powered education to communities across Africa.
She won the title of Miss Bristol at the recent Miss England semi final but will now be fast-tracked to the final having won the AI round. Jessica added: “It would mean the world to me to win Miss England – it is my dream right now.”
Angie Beasley, director of Miss England, said: “I’m thrilled to see Jessica embracing technology in such a positive and purposeful way.”
John Allard, founder of MirrorMe, the firm behind the technology, added: “Jessica represents the next generation of forward-thinking women who are blending technology with social good.”
She will now go on to compete in the Miss England grand final, taking place on November 20 and 21 at the Grand Station in Wolverhampton. The winner will go forward to the 73rd Miss World , set to take place next spring.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here.