COLUMBIA, S.C. – Rowan Hart is a 24-year-old University of South Carolina graduate who bartends at Five Points. He’s also a singer looking to make a name for himself online.
But there’s one other thing to know about Hart: he doesn’t exist.
Steve Varholy, a Columbia artist, created the fictional musician using artificial intelligence, voice-changing technology and his own written music. Varholy said the idea of Hart began after he saw a friend do something similar.
A car break-in suspect made a strange request while pointing a gun at a home security camera last month, Henry County police said.
“And then he went through the process of creating a character … an AI artist. And I was like: That’s interesting. … I am going to try that myself,” Varholy said…