Anthony Bourdain AI documentary voice deepfake results in ethics backlash
Anthony Bourdain AI documentary voice deepfake results in ethics backlash
Occurred: July 2021
Page published: December 2021 | Last updated: October 2024
The unauthorised use of AI to recreate the voice of Anthony Bourdain in a documentary resulted in accusations of unethical behaviour by film critics and others.
Roadrunner (trailer), a documentary about the life and death of chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain, used deepfake technology to re-create Bourdain's voice without disclosure and without the permission of Bourdain's widow Ottavia.
In an interview with the New Yorker, filmmaker Neville Morgan described how he had supplied an AI company with a dozen hours of Bourdain speaking in order to manufacture three quotes he had wanted the TV host to say.
The interview led to a backlash by film critics, film makers and others, who accused Morgan of underhand, manipulative, and unethical behaviour.
"We can have a documentary-ethics panel about it later", Morgan quipped.
Morgan later told WIRED that he had "studiously avoided" using AI in his work after the negative reaction to Roadrunner.
Unknown
Operator: Focus Features; Morgan Neville
Developer:
Country: USA
Sector: Media/entertainment/sports/arts
Purpose: Recreate actor's voice
Technology: Deepfake; Machine learning
Issue: Appropriation; Authenticity/integrity; Consent; Transparency
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-gastronomy/the-haunting-afterlife-of-anthony-bourdain
https://www.gq.com/story/anthony-bourdain-morgan-neville-roadrunner-documentary
https://www.businessinsider.com/anthony-bourdain-documentary-uses-deepfake-of-his-voice-2021-7
https://hypebeast.com/2021/7/roadrunner-a-film-about-anthony-bourdain-documentary-deepfake-audio
https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/15/22578707/anthony-bourdain-documentary-deepfake-voice
https://www.vulture.com/2021/07/posthumous-anthony-bourdain-doc-used-a-i-voice-model.html
https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7e54b/roadrunner-director-deepfaked-anthony-bourdains-voice
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