What happens when cutting-edge AI meets one of literature’s most beloved characters? In this episode of Scaling with AI, Alex Bacon explores how the University for the Creative Arts partnered with StarPal AI to bring Elizabeth Bennet from Jane Austen’s world into ours as a fully interactive AI avatar.

Discover how students and researchers worked together to design, build and test a digital version of Lizzy that delighted visitors at the Jane Austen House Museum. From witty unscripted conversations to surprising historical knowledge, the project revealed how avatars can transform cultural engagement and make learning more accessible.

We unpack the creative process behind shaping Elizabeth’s personality, the role of iteration in refining her responses, and what this experiment means for museums, education, and the wider cultural sector.

If you’re curious about how AI avatars can breathe new life into heritage experiences - and what it’s like to chat with Jane Austen’s most famous heroine - this episode is not to be missed.