“I find it personally disturbing”: Robin Williams’ Daughter Zelda Hates AI Copying Voice of Late Dad, Other Hollywood Legends
Robin Williams was one of the greatest actors in Hollywood history. His versatility and dedication to the craft left an indelible mark on cinema. The most prominent skill of his was his ability to regulate his voice. Blessed with a phenomenal vocal range, the Dead Poets Society actor used his voice quite distinctively. When Williams took his own life in 2014, Hollywood lost its brightest star.
However, with the rise in AI technology, efforts have been made to get an AI to re-create Williams’ iconic voice. And this is something that absolutely does not sit right with the late actor’s daughter, Zelda Williams.
Robin Williams’ Voice by AI
After the recent surge in the development of artificial intelligence, unprecedented things have been made possible. The use of AI in creative spheres, substituting human creativity with artificial intelligence is one of the key reasons that caused the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
The exponential growth in the field of artificial intelligence has been nothing short of spectacular. The uncanniness of everything AI produces poses a threat to real artists. Not only that, with the use of the voice AI, mimicry of late legendary actors is also a common occurrence.
Robin Williams is naturally at the top of the list of actors with voices that leave a lasting impact. There are several software being used to get every nuance of the actor’s voice right.
However, Zelda Williams, daughter of Robin Williams openly criticised the efforts being made to copy her dad’s voice.
Zelda Williams Hates the AI Sounding Like Her Dad
Zelda Williams hates the sound of her dad being re-created by an AI. Imagine the sound that comprised the world’s warmth whenever you heard it, becomes a test sound for a machine. A scenario such as this won’t be easy for anyone. Williams took to Instagram to express her sentiments on the matter. She said (via The Hollywood Reporter):
“This isn’t theoretical, it is very very real. I’ve already heard AI used to get his ‘voice’ to say whatever people want and while I find it personally disturbing, the ramifications go far beyond my own feelings.”
“Living actors deserve a chance to create characters with their choices, to voice cartoons, to put their HUMAN effort and time into the pursuit of performance,” Zelda continued in her post. “These re-creations are, at their very best, a poor facsimile of greater people, but at their worst, a horrendous Frankensteinian monster, cobbled together from the worst bits of everything this industry is, instead of what it should stand for.”
Williams’s scrutiny of the use of AI has helped start more conversations on the matter.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
