Fans of Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić now have an exciting new way to interact with the all-star, via his new AI alter-ego, LUK.AI.
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Starting on September 22, LUK.AI will have complete control of Dončić’s TikTok, providing fans, creators, and brands an opportunity to engage with him.
Dončić exclusively shares, “I’m excited because there is a lot about this project that feels like the future. The fans can train him and what he does and what he makes, and it’s a way for me to share some of my favorite things outside of basketball — like trick shots, gaming, cars, music, and fashion.”
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The character will primarily live on TikTok but also open up new possibilities for Dončić in a myriad of virtual worlds and will be co-developed with fans over time, allowing them to feed into his story and help him learn new behaviors and trends in real-time by sharing content and suggestions.
The 23-year-old, who will likely make a case for MVP this season, says: “Fans are everything to me.” Dončić says LUK.AI is a product of him wanting “to continue to find ways to have fun with them, connect with them and bring more play to the world.”
LUK.AI will sport his Jordan Brand signature shoe, The Luka 1, as well as a virtual Jumpman Flight Suit based on a real-world product. He’ll also be leveraged to help further the ambitions of the Luka Dončić Foundation, which is all about the positive power of play for kids, as well as working with the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps to become a guide for learning projects.
“It was like being turned into a video game character, but there was a lot of new stuff with AI that I don’t understand yet,” Dončić tells of the process of creating his AI version. “I went into a scan studio, the data goes to my team of engineers and artists, and he comes out looking and sounding like me. It’s pretty crazy stuff.”
LUK.AI’s creators impressed Dončić with the character’s appearance. “The realism is unbelievable. He looks like me, talks like me, and has his own personality. But I’m still better looking than him,” he jokes.
