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The Irish Sun

AI clones of Miss England contestants enter pageant competition with eerie ‘digital twins'

AN EERIE new AI round for the Miss England pageant has been introduced with "digital twins" of real-life contestants. Hopefuls can now walk down a virtual catwalk and wear just about anything their heart desires all thanks to the power of AI. Advertisement 5 Afton McKeith is the first Miss England finalist to record her AI twin Credit: SWNS 5 Her virtual clone speaks more than 140 languages Credit: SWNS 5 Afton is the daughter of I'm A Celeb star Gillian McKeith Credit: SWNS The so-called "Miss England Avatar Round" give beauty queens the chance to step into the world of AI technology. Organisers behind the famed contest believe it's the first beauty pageant in the world to introduce such a round. Over the course of two-hours, each participant can develop a fully-animated digital clone of themselves, capable of delivering presentations and making virtual appearances. Advertisement Read more about AI A sample video shows her virtual clone interacting, wearing an array of outfits and even speaking in different languages. "This is not actually me, I am Afton's digital twin," the avatar says. "I have no human needs, no sleep, no stress, no make-up disasters. "Just pure calculated perfection. Advertisement Most read in Tech Exclusive Exclusive "Very soon digital twins won't be a novelty, they will be attending meetings, handling interviews and running entire lives. "Lets face it, wouldn't you rather send your avatar to your 9am meeting if you could?" mum's an I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! legend. But Afton's more likely to be found backstage at a pageant than in the jungle Miss England has got tech firm MirrorMe on board to make the new round possible. Contestants need to record voiceovers and movements to bring their avatars to life, allowing them to explore how they might represent themselves in future digital interviews, business pitches, or public speaking engagements - with the ability to speak more than 140 languages too. Advertisement The Miss England business avatar round will be one of ten rounds in the next Miss England semi final that contestants can opt to enter. A winner will be judged on the highest combined views for their AI video presentations on the MirrorMe website, Vimeo and YouTube. The real Afton, 25, said: "It's such an exciting honour to be the first Miss England contestant to experience the Avatar Round. "This initiative is a brilliant way to encourage more young women to step into the world of business and technology. Advertisement "A digital twin can be a powerful asset as it allows you to create content that can be reused, save time on filming and even license your likeness to companies for campaigns or educational tools. "It's about working smarter and exploring new ways to build your brand, create income and stay present even when you're not physically available." Angie Beasley, who has run the Miss England competition for 23 years, added: 'Miss England has always been about more than just looks. "With the rise of remote working, AI and virtual platforms, I felt it was time to reflect the world our contestants are stepping into. Advertisement "This round is about confidence, presence and impact — whether you're in the room or on a screen. "It's an empowering way to bridge beauty, brains and modern tech. "This innovative new round opens the door for contestants to embrace technology in a whole new way, highlighting their adaptability, creativity, and communication skills in the digital space." 5 Afton, 25, says it was an 'exciting honour' to be the first Miss England contestant to try it Credit: SWNS Advertisement 5 Miss England believes it's the first pageant to add an AI round Credit: SWNS