Hank Azaria believes voice actors on The Simpsons could be replaced by AI.
The 60-year-old actor has worked on the animated show since it began in 1989 voicing beloved characters like bartender Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Superintendent Chalmers, Comic Book Guy and Duffman.
Hank is aware that artificial intelligence is being used to replicate and create voices and he insists the onslaught of the technology is the equivalent of the steam train being invented in the late 18th century which heralded the industrial revolution.
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Appearing on the Our Way podcast, he said: “AI replacing us essentially vocally… My perspective on it, and I hate to say right now there’s nuances they can’t quite get, you still need the human element, but I’m not sure how much longer that’s going to be the case.
“It’s coming, it’s the steam engine essentially, it’s going to be really interesting how they use it.
“As a vocal artist I came to see what we do as offering choices in editing, you try it this way, you try it that way, you rehearse, if you do it live then you do the editing in rehearsal, you try and figure out the best way to deliver this.
“The computer can give you unlimited choices in a nanosecond for free. Although you still need a human working the dial, as it were.”
Although Hank doesn’t know how AI will change his work in the future, he still loves working on The Simpsons and his favourite character to voice is Moe, who is Homer Simpson’s bartender, and he revealed his voice is inspired by Al Pacino.
Hank – who has stopped voicing Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu, allowing an Indian-American actor to take on the role – said: “I love Moe. Here’s an interesting, fun fact. One of my other heroes growing up was Al Pacino, young Al was a little higher pitched, soft spoken, Godfather Al, Dogday Afternoon Al.
“I auditioned for The Simpsons using Al’s voice and they said they wanted it gravelly. So if you make Al Pacino gravelly you get Moe the bartender.”
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