From: psperson@old.netcom.invalid   
      
   On Sat, 28 Sep 2024 20:38:41 +0000,   
   mummycullen@gmail-dot-com.no-spam.invalid (MummyChunk) wrote:   
      
   >   
   > > > > > In article ,   
   > > > > >  Your Name  wrote:   
   > > > > >    
   > > > > > James Earl Jones' Darth Vader Has Already Been Immortalized   
   >With AI   
   > > > > >   
   >-------------------------------------------------------------------   
   > > > > > James Earl Jones died Monday at the age of 93. But long   
   >before he   
   > > > > > did, he gave Lucasfilm permission to recreate his iconic   
   >Darth   
   > > > > > Vader voice for shows like Obi-Wan Kenobi.   
   > > > > >    
   > > > > > If anyone could make the Dark Side sound good, it was James   
   >Earl   
   > > > > > Jones. The actor, who died Monday at the age of 93, provided   
   >the   
   > > > > > voice for Darth Vader in more than a dozen Star Wars   
   >properties,   
   > > > > > from A New Hope to Star Tours. He made the Force sound   
   >ominous in a   
   > > > > > way that made it appealing. With his passing, it feels as   
   >though all   
   > > > > > the power and gravitas and respect he brought to the   
   >character is   
   > > > > > gone.   
   > > > > >    
   > > > > > It's not. It's in the hands of AI.   
   > > > > >    
   > > > > > A few years ago, when Jones provided a few lines of dialog as   
   >Vader   
   > > > > > for The Rise of Skywalker, he'd expressed interest in   
   >wrapping up   
   > > > > > his time as the Sith Lord, according to Vanity Fair.   
   >Lucasfilm, in   
   > > > > > need of a way to continue the character - and particular to   
   > > > > > continue having a version of the character's voice as it   
   >sounded in   
   > > > > > those early Star Wars movies - turned to a Ukrainian company   
   >called   
   > > > > > Respeecher that used artificial intelligence to make a   
   >recreation of   
   > > > > > the Vader voice based on Jones' past performances. (The actor   
   >signed   
   > > > > > off on the use of his archive to train the speech model.)   
   > > > > >    
   > > > > > Jones' passing marks a pivotal moment in the future of   
   >AI-generated   
   > > > > > performances. During last year's prolonged Hollywood actors'   
   >strike,   
   > > > > > one of the biggest sticking points between the Screen Actors   
   > > > > > Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists,   
   >or   
   > > > > > SAG-AFTRA, and the studios was whether or not studios needed   
   >to   
   > > > > > secure permission to use a past performance to train AI   
   >models.   
   > > > > > Ultimately, SAG won guardrails around the use of AI in   
   >recreating   
   > > > > > performances. Now the question is: How will those play out   
   >with   
   > > > > > Darth Vader?   
   > > > > >    
   > > > > > It's a particularly interesting question when it comes to   
   >voice   
   > > > > > acting specifically. The full recreation of vocals may feel   
   >further   
   > > > > > along than the full recreation of whole performances, but   
   >they also   
   > > > > > feel more poignant.   
   > > > > >    
   > > > > > When Paul McCartney used AI to help fashion a Beatles song   
   >from   
   > > > > > tapes made when the Fab Four were still alive, the results   
   >felt   
   > > > > > haunted. When OpenAI released a demo of its voice assistant   
   >Sky and   
   > > > > > Scarlett Johansson believed it sounded much like the voice   
   >she used   
   > > > > > in Her, she was "shocked, angered, and in   
   >disbelief" that the   
   > > > > > company "would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily   
   >similar to   
   > > > > > mine." OpenAI denied she was the inspiration but paused   
   >the demo.   
   > > > > > Video game voice actors are on strike right now to get   
   >protections   
   > > > > > for their vocal performances. Voices, it seems, are currently   
   >at   
   > > > > > their highest value.   
   > > > > >    
   > > > > > Ultimately, what will now happen to the Darth Vader voice is   
   >not   
   > > > > > really a question of rights-Jones gave permission - but   
   >rather one   
   > > > > > of emotion. Will Lucasfilm, or its parent company Disney,   
   >want to   
   > > > > > produce future Star Wars shows or movies featuring AI Vader   
   > > > > > following Jones' death?   
   > > > > >    
   > > > >    
   > > > >    
   > > > > Wasn't that the whole point of securing the rights from Jones   
   >and    
   > > > > creating the AI version in the first place? If Jones's death   
   >makes it    
   > > > > 'too creepy' or something to use the AI in new projects, then   
   >what was    
   > > > > the point of doing it all in the first place?   
   > > > >    
   > > > > With a character as iconic as Vader, should there be a point   
   >at   
   > > > > which fans let go?   
   > > > >    
   > > > > From Audrey Hepburn selling Dove chocolates to hologram Tupac,   
   > > > > posthumous performances have been a part of pop culture for   
   >years.   
   > > > > But unlike Audrey and Pac, Jones is in on the plan; he is   
   > > > > seemingly the first celebrity to have allowed his iconic   
   >presence   
   > > > > to be recreated with AI before his passing. What will likely   
   > > > > decide how well AI Vader goes over is how it's handled. A   
   >Darth   
   > > > > Vader feature film may not be as warmly received as, say, a   
   >Force   
   > > > > ghost cameo   
   > > > >    
   > > >    
   > > >    
   > > > A Force ghost cameo would have Hayden Christiansen's voice, not   
   >Jones's.   
   > > >    
   > > > or a flashback. It'll be a test to see how welcomed   
   > > > the character will be now that the man behind it is gone.   
   > > >    
   > > BTR1701 wrote:   
   > >    
   > >    
   > > As a fan, I wouldn't have any problem with it at all since I know   
   >Jones    
   > > gave his blessing and was presumably well paid for it.   
   >   
   >   
   >The primary goal of securing such rights is often to preserve and   
   >extend the legacy of the individual, allowing their presence to   
   >continue in new projects even after their passing. However, the   
   >emotional impact on audiences and the ethical implications can   
   >complicate this intention. Some people might find it unsettling or   
   >disrespectful to use an AI version of a deceased person, which can   
   >lead to hesitation or backlash.   
   >   
   >In essence, while the technical and legal groundwork might be in place   
   >to use the AI, the human element—how people feel about it—plays a   
   >crucial role in determining whether it’s appropriate to proceed.   
   >Balancing respect for the individual’s legacy with audience sentiment   
   >is a delicate task.   
   >    
   >   
   >This is a response to the post seen at:   
   >http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=673581561#673581561   
   >   
      
   IIRC, the film /Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow/ did something   
   like that.   
      
   Probably without the AI, though.   
   --    
   "Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,   
   Who evil spoke of everyone but God,   
   Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)