A merry-looking gray-haired woman clutches a bottle of cold tea as she skips toward the camera. The scene then switches from the future to the present, where she looks visibly younger and takes a swig of the beverage.

It¡¯s like any other TV commercial, except for one thing: The woman is an AI-generated actress.

As part of a new marketing project, major beverage company Ito En is using the AI-generated actress in its 15-second commercial for Oi Ocha Catechin Green Tea, in what it claims is the first of its kind in Japan.

The commercial tries to convey the idea that ¡°the time to change the future is now,¡± and it encourages viewers to drink the tea in order to stay healthy as they age.

The clip was made in collaboration with AI model, a company that specializes in creating AI-generated performers for marketing and fashion. The company has also worked in the past with Isetan Studio, a photo studio of the major retailer.

Ito En has also used AI for generating various design options for its plastic bottle packaging developed by research and design firm Plug.

The commercial is receiving mixed reviews from netizens on X, formerly Twitter. Some have praised the potential of AI in marketing going forward, saying that the quality was so good they didn¡¯t notice the actress wasn¡¯t a real person.

Others, however, wondered whether AI models and actors would replace humans in the future.

Earlier this year, major publishing company Shueisha caused a stir when it released its first ever digital photobook that featured an AI-generated model ¡°Ai Satsuki.¡± Sales were halted 10 days later due to public criticism that such projects take away jobs from real-life models and a sense of discomfort at knowing the model isn¡¯t real.

The publishing company stated that they had not fully considered the various arguments and possible issues associated with using an AI model, and reconsidered their usage of AI.

While AI continues to be embraced in the creative field, many in the entertainment and art industry are concerned about its impact on jobs.

A survey conducted earlier this year by Art Workers Japan, an association of freelancers in the arts and entertainment industries, found that nearly 94% of about 27,000 respondents were concerned about copyright infringement and the harmful effects of AI, while 58.5% were worried about losing their jobs.