For nearly 36 years, The Simpsons has stood the test of time by becoming one of the longest-running TV shows in entertainment history. However, the AI boom and this technology’s ability to not just generate lifelike videos of people but also recreate their voices have spooked a lot of actors and artists. One of them has voiced his concerns about being replaced by artificial intelligence but mentions that the art of lending one’s sound is not enough to be replicated by this technology because it takes more than just talent to pursue and excel in this profession.
Voice actor has brought various characters to life in The Simpsons and believes that there is real emotion involved when forming a character
Hank Azaria, who voiced the characters Moe, Chief Wiggum, and Comic Book Guy, wrote an op-ed that was published by The New York Times, expressing his sadness and worry. He stated that one day, AI will replace him and the people around him who are knee-deep in this business. Azaria believes that for AI to do what it is doing is blatant theft.
“I imagine that soon enough, artificial intelligence will be able to recreate the sounds of the more than 100 voices I created for characters on The Simpsons over almost four decades. It makes me sad to think about it. Not to mention, it seems just plain wrong to steal my likeness or sound — or anyone else’s.”
Taking the example of The Simpsons character Moe, whom readers will immediately know as the disgruntled bartender, Azaria states that the character has been in about every episode for the past 36 years and displays all kinds of emotions. To train AI to come up with a believable voice of Moe accurately is going to take a lot of work; at least, that is Azaria’s take on the matter. He also mentions that voicing a character is a grueling task because it is not just the voice that is involved but a whole range of emotions, not to mention the body and soul.
“A misconception about voice acting is that it takes only a voice. But our bodies and souls are involved to get the proper believability. It can be as simple as running in place if your character’s running. If your character is crying, you work up real tears, real emotion.”
However, with the billions in capital expenditure that companies are injecting this year, it is possible that Azaria’s fears will be realized much faster than previously anticipated. Meta was previously reported to have wanted to use the voices of various artists for an AI assistant and was working up a deal with which these performers could pocket millions for using their likeness. Then again, so much is yet to be written in stone, but it will be interesting to see how things pan out with AI use proliferating in the next couple of years.
News Source: The New York Times
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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