The son of iconic presenter Michael Parkinson has set the record straight on using his father's voice on a new podcast.
Defending the decision to use AI, Mike Parkinson said using his dad's voice will not be "bringing my father back." The late presenter, who famously interviewed a number of high profile names including Hollywood icons, musicians and sport heroes, passed away last year at the age of 88.
And Mike said his father had liked the idea of using the technology to interview those who have passed, such as stars including Frank Sinatra. While on Good Morning Britain, he said; "Really, what this came from was, was an extension of the work I’ve done with my dad, which essentially is looking after the archive, giving it more life after he’s gone, and also just paying tribute to his legacy."
He continued: "I mean, he spent most of his time with me, looking at the archive, using the archive in various different ways. He would do live shows and we would write books based on the archive. We would do documentaries based on the archive. He was fascinated by the art of interviewing. He basically used to have a conversation with me saying, ‘I wish there was the technology which could bring back people I never had a chance to interview’."
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Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)He then went on to explain to viewers: "He would have loved to have brought back Frank Sinatra." Speaking about whether he has had an interaction with the voice, he said: "He’s not my dad. The thing about it is, he’s not my dad. I mean, I’m not bringing my father back. It’s not some kind of Hamlet’s ghost moment."
The AI version of Sir Michael's voice is expected to appear in an eight-part podcast series, titled Virtually Parkinson, which launches later this year. And Benjamin Field of Deep Fusion Films, told the morning news programme, they had used more than 1,000 hours of Sir Michael’s interviews into the AI and said they are "not passing it off as Michael Parkinson." He said: "The podcast is not about Michael Parkinson, per se. It’s actually about the exploration of the relationship between AI and humans."
The project received backlash and according to The Sun, a source said: "The fact that a bizarre project like this is being pursued is a measure of just how adored Parky was and how missed he now is. Although it sounds strange, using AI like this will keep the memory of the grand inquisitor alive and remember him for doing what he did best — grilling famous people."
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