AI Will Keep James Earl Jones’ Legacy Alive
By Movieguide® Contributor
One of the late James Earl Jones’ most iconic roles was the voice of Darth Vader in the STAR WARS movies.
However, when Jones stepped away from the role, he agreed to let artificial intelligence replicate his voice to continue his legacy.
While this is a great opportunity for Jones’ iconic voice to live on, especially after the news of his recent death, many other actors are worried AI could take jobs away.
Per AP News, “Voice actors say they fear AI could reduce or eliminate job opportunities because the technology could be used to replicate one performance into a number of other movements without their consent — a concern that led video game performers with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to go on strike in late July.”
Zeke Alton, a voice actor and part of SAG-AFTRA’s interactive media agreement negotiating committee, agreed that it’s “amazing” that Jones was given the chance to replicate his voice.
“If the game companies, the movie companies, gave the consent, compensation transparency to every actor that they gave James Earl Jones, we wouldn’t be on strike,” Alton explained. “It proves that they can do it. They just don’t want to for people that they feel don’t have the leverage to bargain for themselves.”
Concern about job security due to AI extends beyond the entertainment industry, though.
According to the International Monetary Fund, “In advanced economies, about 60 percent of jobs may be impacted by AI. Roughly half the exposed jobs may benefit from AI integration, enhancing productivity. For the other half, AI applications may execute key tasks currently performed by humans, which could lower labor demand, leading to lower wages and reduced hiring. In the most extreme cases, some of these jobs may disappear.”
Despite the statistics and stresses, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos believes that, while AI can be a useful tool, it won’t take over the entertainment industry. Movieguide® reported:
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos weighed on AI during an appearance on actor Rob Lowe’s podcast.
“I think that the creators who learn to use these tools better than everyone else are gonna win…not companies who create, but people who create,” Sarandos said.
However, he doesn’t believe AI would substitute for filmmakers since “it’s feasible that AI can replicate or imitate those things, but there’s something about the authenticity and the reality of human experience that people see, and they can also see when it’s inauthentic.”
Sarandos used one of Netflix’s biggest shows, SQUID GAME, as an example, crediting its success to its originality and genuineness.
“I think that people will try to use AI to do shortcuts for the human experience, and the truth is, there is no shortcut for the human experience,” he explained. “It would not be good for the business to have movies and films spit out of an AI. The relationship with that programming, with those stories, will not be intense, will not be personal, will not make you cry at night.”
