NBC to Use AI-Generated Voice of Al Michaels for Olympic Recaps

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Facts

• NBC Universal plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) to replicate the voice of broadcaster Al Michaels as part of its Olympics coverage this summer. The AI-generated voice will narrate a daily highlight reel of the Paris games.¹
• Viewers will be able to hear Michaels’ artificially produced voice on “Your Daily Olympic Recap on Peacock,” NBC’s streaming service announced. The platform says that the AI model was trained using Michaels’ past broadcasting appearances with NBC Sports.²
• The 79-year-old Michaels told Vanity Fair that he was initially “very skeptical” of an AI imitation of his voice, but after listening to it, he said it was “amazing.' He was especially impressed by its nuance, saying that “it was almost 2% off perfect.”³
• Michaels has covered sports on TV for more than 50 years, and he has voiced some of the most iconic calls in sports history.²
• NBC said it will not use AI for any other part of its Olympics coverage.⁴

Sources: ¹Forbes, ²NBC, ³Vanity Fair and ⁴Ars Technica.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Defector. The novelty of an AI-generated Michaels pales in comparison to the multifaceted ethical dilemma it creates. In addition to the obvious threat to job security, the technology inherently lacks the human touch that makes certain broadcasts iconic. Even if AI perfectly mimics Michaels’ legendary voice, it would still be a cheap imitation of the announcer’s human spirit and spontaneity.
• Narrative B, as provided by US Newsper. NBC is joining the broadcasting revolution. While there may be concerns about the displacement of human announcers, it's more likely AI will create more jobs in media and allow for a more equitable viewer experience. AI-generated voices can provide more accessible coverage to speakers of different languages and the hearing impaired. And its ever-evolving nature ensures that there will always be good jobs in the industry.

Predictions