By: Carter Dooner
Things seen at the 2025 National Association of Broadcasters Conference in Las Vegas.
Amazon Web Services debuts digital clone of Formula-1 commentator Ruth Buscombe at the NAB show in Las Vegas. Photo by Carter Dooner
A new piece of AI is making its way onto the scene.
Amazon Web Services debuted what it’s calling a “digital double” powered by conversational generative AI at the National Association of Broadcasters Convention last week in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The new technology was front and center at the NAB show, which drew over 100,000 people during the four-day event. Attendees were able to test out the tech for the first time since its inception in late 2024.
The application can create virtual personas and replicate the voices and appearances of well-known celebrities using AWS’s new AI technology.
In the demo presented at the convention, Formula 1 commentator Ruth Bescombe was digitally featured in a 3-dimensional 7-foot-tall machine. Users could go up to the microphone and ask the digital double a question, which would prompt an answer from the double.
The machine uses Amazon Transcribe to convert the voice audio into text. After that, a generative AI system called Amazon Bedrock would be used to generate the response. This response would accurately answer the user’s question, with the digital double using conversational mannerisms and lip-syncing to successfully simulate a real-life conversation.
To make this happen, AWS did a three minute recording session with Bescombe to record audio and clone her voice for the prototype. They then transported that data into the Amazon Bedrock system.
It’s the goal for AWS to personalize fan interactions in sports broadcasting by utilizing its AI tools to further the fan experience. The real-life conversational experience takes a new angle and approach to interactive storytelling, especially in sports.
AWS has just scratched the surface in sports broadcasting. With the sports industry growing in monetary value year after year, AWS aims to create even more immersive experiences for its users and further enhance broadcast storytelling.