Dolly Parton Says She Will Not Live On Through AI: ‘When I’m Gone, I Want To Fly With It’

With the help of holograms curated by artificial intelligence (AI) technology, several musical icons have been able to preserve and carry on their legacies posthumously for generations to come. 

But country singer Dolly Parton recently said she has no interest in going down that path.

The 77-year-old icon was asked at a news conference in London last week whether she would consider living on posthumously through AI, such as with virtual concerts for fans using holograms of herself.

“I think I’ve left a great body of work behind,” Dolly responded. “I don’t know how they’ll keep me around.”

“I’ll have to decide on how much of that high-tech stuff I want to be involved in because I don’t want to leave my soul here on this Earth,” she added with a laugh.

“I think with some of that stuff, I feel like I’ll be grounded here forever, so when I’m gone, I want to fly with it.”

Still, Dolly has no intention of letting her legacy disappear forever. 

“I’ll be around,” she insisted. “We’ll find ways to keep me here.”

Advancements in AI technology over the years have been used to create virtual performances for musical artists who have died, or who are no longer performing, drawing in mixed reactions from musicians and fans alike. 

In May 2022, ABBA launched ABBA: Voyage, a virtual concert experience in London that has so far sold over a million tickets to fans of the retired group.

Former Spice Girls member Victoria Beckham said she would be open to a virtual hologram concert, similar to ABBA: Voyage, in lieu of a reunion tour for the band, according to People. 

Meanwhile, a hologram performance of the late Michael Jackson at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards was lauded by some fans and criticised by others who said the performance was “creepy”, per CNN. 

In an interview with 94.5 The Buzz, Linkin Park member Mike Shinoda said that hologram performances are “creepy” and confirmed that the band likely wouldn’t use a hologram to create a virtual performance with their late vocalist Chester Bennington, who died by suicide in 2017.