Can we really build virtual people from scratch?

Synthetic media is simply described as media that is not real. This can include CGI (computer generated imagery) characters we see in movies, virtual assistants we talk to, or content generated entirely by computers.

While this is not a new concept, the technology to produce it is rapidly advancing. From generating images using GANs (generative adversarial networks) to writing backstories and personality with GPT-3, the virtual identity is closing in on reality.