If you follow this website, you probably know that I usually write two columns a month for The Berkshire Eagle, which is a daily newspaper in Pittsfield, Mass.
I write mostly about local and national news issues, but once in a while, I’ll write a piece about the entertainment industry.
In my latest column, I talk about Morgan Neville’s use of advanced AI to recreate the late Anthony Bourdain’s voice, in order to get soundbites that he never said in real life but did write, for “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain” and the ethical questions it brings up — questions Neville himself sidestepped in an interview for The New Yorker.
What are your thoughts on the matter? While Neville’s use of the technology is hardly the worst application for it, I’m still not a fan of his embrace of it, and it brings up serious questions about the relationship between performer and performance. And it’s not hard to imagine how easily it can be abused.