mass mediaSir Michael Parkinson’s son has defended the use of artificial intelligence to recreate the late talk show host’s voice for a new interview podcast series.
Virtual Parkinson is produced by Deep Fusion Films with support from the family and estate of Sir Michael.
The eight-episode series will be broadcast by the Barnsley-born broadcaster, Died last year at the age of 88. Interact with a range of new guests.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4 today, His son, Mike Parkinson, said he told producers he “really wanted to find out” [to listeners] This is an iteration of artificial intelligence.”
However, the podcast is being launched at a time when the use of artificial intelligence in the creative arts is hotly debated, with many arguing that it needs to be used cautiously and ethically, if at all.
Many broadcasters and actors are concerned about the risks to their livelihoods and the complexity of AI being mistaken for real people or products.
In 2022, Union Equity launched the “Stop AI Stealing the Show” campaign. The use of AI is a major factor Strike brings Hollywood to a standstill last year.
However, since Sir Michael has died and therefore no longer has a livelihood to protect, the argument in this case is more about whether it is ethical to ask him to say things he has never said in real life, and whether the AI version is even a real presenter. It’s something the audience wants.
Mike Parkinson said Deep Fusion co-founders Ben Field and Jamie Anderson “were 100 percent very ethical in dealing with this issue and they knew the law very well.” and moral issues, they don’t try to pass it off as real ”.
Parkinson recalled the development of the podcast: “Before he died, we [my father and I] Talking about making a podcast, unfortunately he passed away before it could happen, which is where Deep Fusion comes in.
“I came to them and said, ‘What if we wanted to do this podcast with my dad, talking about his archives, would that be possible?’, and they said ‘It’s totally possible, and we think we could do more of that’.”
He added that his father “would have been fascinated by the project”, although he noted that the broadcaster himself was a “technophobe”.
Discussing his father’s new version of artificial intelligence, Parkinson said: “What they’ve accomplished is extraordinary because I really didn’t expect it to be so accurate.”
Anderson, who was interviewed alongside Parkinson, added: “I don’t think it’s about getting better.
“AI Michael won’t replace the presenter, it’s a new podcast and Sir Michael’s legacy lives on. So it won’t take away the presenter’s job.”
Many speakers today would dispute this. If a celebrity guest agrees to be interviewed by artificial intelligence Sir Michael, it arguably eliminates the opportunity for a different interview that could have been conducted by a living journalist.
“A guest of note”
Parkinson said one of his motivations was “to find a new, younger audience who might not know what my dad could do.”
He added: “This is a great way to extend the life of the idiosyncratic and unique talent of his generation.”
Explaining how the podcast works, Anderson said: “These are brand new interviews and we’ve created an artificial intelligence as close as possible to the late Sir Michael.
“He was autonomous, so we let him start the interview and then the artificial intelligence, Sir Michael, who was trained on Sir Michael’s style and interview questions, decided.
He added: “We can’t tell you who the guests are yet, we have a few spots left, but they are all noteworthy people.”
Sir Michael’s television career spanned seven decades, interviewing the world’s biggest stars on his long-running talk show, which aired on the BBC and later ITV.
