SPOILER ALERT! This story contains details from Sunday’s episode of Big Brother.

When Big BrotherWhen Angela Murray saw her AI avatar for the first time, she could not make it clear enough to her fellow guests that she was not the one speaking, but definitely not the person who makes the nominations for eviction.

She was only half right; the nominations actually came from Quinn Martin, who had gained the power to overrule the selection of a Head of Household earlier in the season. But that was most definitely Murray’s vote, along with her actual image.

Before the season of BB At the start, all HouseGuests were asked to stand in front of a simple camera and answer basic questions. Murray and her fellow HGs were not told how their images and voices were being used; everyone assumed it was for marketing purposes or for future moments in the game.

In reality, the tech wizards at Proto – the company responsible for the holographic communications platform used in the show – could create avatars that would do or say anything the BB Producers would like to have a deepfake HOH that looks and sounds exactly like Murray. (They can even be manipulated to speak Cantonese or Italian, for example, if producers ever want that.)

Using the images of the HGs and their recorded voices, Proto can create artificial doppelgangers in a remarkably short time. For Sunday’s episode, an avatar of Martin was created to wreak havoc as an AI instigator and live out the evil whims of Tucker Des Laurier. America gave him this power for a week.

Martin’s image, like Murray’s before it, was “physically projected into the glass” of the life-sized box, or Epic as it is called. It retails for about $30,000 and has been used primarily in retail, hospitals and universities… until now.

“We were the first in the world to implement this (type of technology),” explains David Nussbaum, founder and CEO of Proto and self-proclaimed BB Superfan. “All you need is any 4K camera – even an iPhone. We have an app for the iPhone that lets you put it on a tripod and hit the broadcast button. It’s like you’re on a Zoom call on your end, but it looks like you’re physically in 12 places at once on the other end.”

The technology is especially popular with educators because they can “dial in remotely and host guest lectures from around the world.”

But some celebrities have already discovered the Epic’s appeal. Howie Mandel, for example, has incorporated the Epic into the set of his podcast “Howie Mandel Does Stuff,” which he also films for YouTube. (It helps that Proto rents showroom space in Mandel’s industrial building in Van Nuys, where he produces his podcast.)

“We recently beamed Howie into JFK Airport to annoy travelers,” says Nussbaum.

Besides Mandel, other celebs have helped Nussbaum demonstrate the power of his technology. Visitors to his showroom are greeted by three Epics that look like mini celebrity containers. But the real Camila Cabello is fine too; this is her avatar in leather boots.

“We have taken numerous security measures to ensure that our content cannot be manipulated without the consent of the person for whom it is created,” explains Nussbaum.

In other words, the BB Houseguests don’t have to worry about Proto using their images after the game ends. “All content will be destroyed,” he promises. “It’s for entertainment purposes. This isn’t AI, it’s Big Brother AI.”

When asked about the future of his company, Nussbaum says his business model is geared towards corporate, commercial and retail, but he hopes Hollywood will consider what his hologram tricks can do. Proto’s participation in Big Brother marks Proto’s first major foray into television.

“I think the future of Hollywood is in the hands of artists and filmmakers,” Nussbaum says. “This is just a tool that allows them to do more. Before the Internet, people were afraid of it. Before the smartphone, people were used to going into their kitchen and using the phone on the wall. This is nothing to worry about. This is something to appreciate and learn about. It’s used as a creative tool, not as a replacement for anything.”