Netflix uses an AI-made Gene Wilder voice in new Wonka reality show

In short: Netflix will premiere Wonka’s The Golden Ticket on September 23, and its teaser trailer uses an AI-generated voice based on Gene Wilder, with his family’s consent.

What happened

Netflix released a teaser trailer confirming that Wonka’s The Golden Ticket will debut on Netflix on September 23. The show is a competition series based on the world of Willy Wonka.

According to Deadline, the trailer’s narrator is not a recording of Gene Wilder. Instead, Netflix used an AI-generated voice, made with help from ElevenLabs, an AI audio company. AI-generated voice means software that can create speech that sounds like a specific person, a bit like a very advanced impression.

Deadline also reports that Netflix got permission from Wilder’s family for this voice recreation. The report says Netflix has done similar voice work in other productions, including recreating the voices of Michael Caine and Stan Lee.

Netflix says the show will feature 12 “golden ticket” winners, and each can bring a partner. The competition ends with a two-part finale on September 30.

Why it matters

This is another example of entertainment companies using AI to recreate the voices of famous people who are no longer available to record new lines. For viewers, it may make trailers and shows feel more like older films. For everyone else, it raises a simple question, who gets to approve this, and how clearly should it be labeled when a voice is created by software.

Source: The Verge AI