Instead of hiring Al Michaels or other replacements for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, NBC is taking the generative AI route by cloning the legendary sports broadcaster's voice for upcoming events. Al Michaels' AI counterpart would deliver the daily recaps and updates for the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics games, with NBC broadcasting them for the US.
In addition to Michaels' AI voice narrator, NBC offers live games on its streaming platform, Peacock, for subscribers to enjoy.
NBC's Al Michaels Gets an AI-Generated Voice for Paris 2024
NBC Universal will deliver a "Your Daily Olympic Recap" experience for the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024. It will use the AI-cloned voice of the iconic sports broadcaster Al Michaels to narrate the games. According to NBC, this will be available via Peacock, its streaming platform, which will also be the official streaming partner of the Olympics for the United States under NBC.
Al Michaels is best known as the Emmy Award-winning announcer who has been in the industry for more than 50 years and is regarded as one of the voices of the NFL. Michaels' career is also highlighted by his iconic play-by-play coverage of the football games and, lately, for Thursday Night Football.
Michaels, 79, recently revealed that he was astonished and frightened when he was presented with his AI voice clone.
AI Michaels to Narrate Daily Recaps, Updates for Olympics
NBC's AI-generated Michaels is now up to the task of providing a personalized experience of the massive Olympic games. It would summarize as much as 5,000 hours of coverage at its peak. It would also deliver massive recaps and updates on as many as 40 Olympic games per day, with users only needing to opt into the experience on Peacock starting July 27.
Generative AI Cloning and Deepfake: Is It Accepted?
Generative AI is a powerful tech, and this is because it can deliver massive outputs for users in different ways and experiences, but those who use it may not all have good or honest intentions behind their creations. There was once a scam against Arup, where scammers could steal £20 million by creating deepfakes of their executives that swindled an employee.
However, not all are threatened with AI deepfakes and voice cloning, as the renowned Canadian technopop star Grimes has previously allowed the world to clone her voice. The musician previously approved using her AI voice for tracks, and she only asks to split the royalty 50-50, similar to the deal she has with artists who collaborated with her.
The cloning business, both AI-generated and physical, is not yet widely accepted into the world, claiming this to be an artificial life that still faces massive criticism and opposition. However, in NBC's case, Michaels' voice will be a generative AI voice that will provide its audience with daily recaps and updates for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, also known for resorting to AI tech.
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