AI has already come a long way since its conception, going well beyond thechatbotswe’ve started using for text and image generation. Now, deepfakes are becoming synonymous with the spread of misinformation, leading to major concerns across the web. One person who has taken issue with AI as of late is Sir David Attenborough. The filmmaker, who is known for “The Blue Planet” and his soothing voice, recently discovered that an AI version of himself has been created. While this may be fun for those who choose to use it, Attenborough himself isn’t pleased with its existence.
ProgrammerCharlie Holtztook to X (formerly Twitter) to let the world know that, through a Python script, you may now deploy Attenborough’s voice for narration. This is all possible, thanks to the development of AI, and the recreation seems to mimic the filmmaker’s voice, tone, and style perfectly.
Attenborough himself has caught wind of the development, and he’s less than pleased. While speaking toBusiness Insider, he said that he finds the situation to be “personally distressing,” but he is also assuming that this won’t matter to those who created his AI rendition. Attenborough expressed concerns that the AI version of himself may misrepresent his beliefs as well. Business Insider also sought comment from Holtz, who published the Python script, but he did not reply.
Many people understandably have fears about where the future of AI is going to lead. Celebrities, in particular, are often less than pleased when they learn of AI-generated doppelgängers — with a reputation to protect, a public figure is more likely to fight back against anything that may spur misrepresentation.
That being said, some are taking sides with AI and playing a more active role in its evolution. For example, a number of musicians recently teamed up with YouTube fora new feature called Dream Tracks. Charlie Puth, Demi Lovato, John Legend, and more have signed on to lend their voices for the feature.
Through Dream Tracks, YouTube creators can generate their own music for Shorts using one of these artists’ voice. YouTube and its parent company, Google, also expressed a deepening commitment to working with musicians as AI is further integrated into the platform.
While most of us don’t need to worry about an AI deepfake being modeled after our liking, you have to wonder just how far these developments will go. To Attenborough’s point, there isn’t a need for an AI-generated version for him to exist — in fact, one could argue that its existence only opens the door to the spread of misinformation. Using Attenborough’s liking for narration purposes might be fun for the time being, but it does shed a spotlight on just how creepy AI can be.
